Sino-Thai camp concludes at Chiang Mai University

Fifteen students join a lecture by Thai professors. [Photo/ynu.edu.cn]

Recently, the Sino-Thai Civilization Mutual Learning Camp of the second (2023) Sino-Thai Summer School opened. The camp and the summer school were organized by the School of Ethnology and Sociology of Yunnan University in cooperation with the Regional Center of Social Science and Sustainable Development (RCSD) at the School of Social Sciences of Chiang Mai University, Thailand.

The theme of the camp is "Transnational People Mobility, Connectivity and Cooperative Development in the Region of Mekong River Basin". A total of 15 undergraduate students majoring in ethnology from Yunnan University completed the advanced theory study of ethnological anthropology under the joint guidance of two universities' faculty teams.

The opening ceremony for the camp was held at Chiang Mai University and was presided over by Professor Chayan Vaddhanaphuti from the Department of Social Sciences and Development. Thapin Phatcharanuruk, dean of the School of Social Sciences, also delivered a speech.

Professors from the university taught 15 students over a three-day period – focusing on the historical background of ethnic mobility in the Mekong River Basin region, cross-border migration, the protection of intangible cultural heritage, and related topics.

Subsequently, Chinese and Thai teachers and students went to Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and other places for five days of field research. The topics included the influence of Chinese education and tourism on Chiang Mai, the rise of a new batch of Chinese businesspeople in Chiang Rai, as well as local industries like coffee and tourism.

Students discuss their field research. [Photo/ynu.edu.cn]

Five days later, with the results of their research concluded, they returned to Chiang Mai University and wrote up English-language reports under the guidance of their Thai teachers. A compilation album of their reports will be published in Thailand.

The holding of the camp has not only enabled students to consolidate their professional abilities in a practical way, but also gave them crucial experience of international academic exchanges.