Expanding into Thailand, Deepening Ties: Seven NTNU Students Join the 2026 AEL Summer Course
Amid deepening globalization, societies across East Asia face a range of shared challenges — cultural change, economic transformation, and social inequality — that are reshaping the development of their education systems. In response, the College of Education at National Taiwan Normal University has, since 2014, worked with the Graduate School of Education at Tohoku University in Japan, the College of Education at National Chengchi University, the Department of Education at Korea University, and the School of Education Science and School of Psychology at Nanjing Normal University — four countries or regions and five schools in all — to jointly offer the Asia Education Leader (AEL) Course. Starting in 2026, the partnership expanded further with the addition of the Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University in Thailand. AEL is a flagship transnational program that the College has long prioritized, aiming to cultivate outstanding leaders who combine a global outlook with local awareness and can respond incisively to education issues across East Asia.
Opening ceremony of the 2026 AEL Summer Course
Each winter and summer, AEL is hosted in turn by one partner institution and offers three fully English-taught graduate courses — the Asia Education Leadership Seminar on Knowledge (KP), Attitude (AP), and Skills (SP) — which are also open to fourth-year undergraduates. Participating students study, discuss, and present alongside peers and faculty from Japan, Korea, Thailand, and mainland China in a short, intensive format, gaining substantial international academic exchange and cross-cultural communication experience while building a network of young education leaders across East Asia — a foundation for future transnational research collaboration, graduate study, and international education practice.
Vice Dean Chiou Guo-Li with Dean Yotsawee of the Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University.
The 2026 AEL Summer Program was jointly organized by Tohoku University and Chulalongkorn University, and held from August 10 to 19 at the Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University, in Thailand, with seven NTNU students selected to take part. The program opened with a ceremony on the morning of the first day, at which the College was represented by Vice Dean Chiou Guo-Li, underscoring the College's commitment to this international partnership. Among the seven students, five had completed at least two English-Medium Instruction (EMI) courses, making them eligible for supplementary funding under NTNU’s bilingual program—an achievement the College is particularly proud to recognize.
Students from six partner schools learning together.
Several participating students shared reflections on what they gained. One said the program in Thailand was not only academically inspiring but also gave her the chance to make friends from different countries, deepening her understanding of diverse education systems, cultures, and scholarship through classes, discussions, and site visits. Another described the curriculum as well designed and engaging, with knowledgeable, responsive instructors and diverse group activities that let participants from different backgrounds exchange ideas and broaden their horizons. Through shared learning and research with partner institutions across East and Southeast Asia, the AEL platform continues to strengthen ties among its five regions and six partner schools, deepening transnational academic networks and opening new opportunities for collaboration between NTNU faculty and partner-institution scholars — advancing both student development and academic capacity.
Seven NTNU students with faculty from Thailand and Japan.