2017 Asia-Pacific Association for International Education (APAIE) conference was hosted in Kaohsiung, Taiwan from March 20 to 23. Its theme was “New Era, New Horizon, New Frontier: Higher Education in Asia Pacific”. National Sun Yat-Sen University was the head host of this important event.

APAIE is an international non-profit organization whose goal is to enhance the internationalization of higher education in the Asia-Pacific region. It holds a conference and an exhibition in a different country in the Asia-Pacific region annually. Delegations from all around the world come to participate in workshops and round tables discussing higher education issues and they can promote their country’s higher education to an international audience in an exhibition area.

APAIE 2017 attracted about 1,000 delegates and a hundred exhibitors. Taiwan’s Deputy Minister of Education, Dr. Yao Lee-Ter gave a welcoming address at the opening ceremony.

Dr. Bundit Thipakorn, Deputy Secretary General of the Office of the Higher Education Commission, of the Ministry of Education of Thailand was one of the many high-ranking officials from abroad whose participation highlighted the importance of such an opportunity to interact with their international counterparts who work in the higher education field. Dr. Bundit led a delegation of representatives of seven of the best universities in Thailand, including Mahidol University, to take part in the APAIE Conference and set up a “Study-in-Thailand” stand in the exhibition area.

Dr. Bundit attended the University Presidents Roundtable meeting hosted by National Sun Yat-Sen on March 22, representing Thailand’s Ministry of Education, to discuss a number of special issues on internationalization of higher education with university presidents and educational leaders attending APAIE 2017. Taiwan’s Ministry of Education made arrangements for Dr. Bundit to visit National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism and personally observe what Taiwan’s higher education in the culinary arts and hospitality field offers.

The interactions at APAIE 2017 and study visits to the universities in the Kaohsiung area gave all the members of the delegation from Thailand more understanding of Taiwan’s higher education sector. It is hoped that this will open more opportunities for universities in Taiwan to interact with those in Thailand, and engage in a broad range of collaborative academic, research, and exchange activities.

Photo: Mrs. Chadarat Singhadechakul, Director of Thailand’s Bureau of International Cooperation Strategy; Dr. Bundit Thipakorn, Deputy Secretary General of the Office of the Higher Education Commission, of Thailand’s Ministry of Education; and Dr. Yao Lee-Ter, Taiwan’s Deputy Minister of Education at APAIE 2017