GMA Secretariat, Tsinghua University, and XuetangX Visited Korea and Thailand to Strengthen Cooperation Among GMA Members and Explore Further Collaboration

Between March 11^th and 12^th, Wang Xiaoxiao, Secretary-General of Global MOOC and Online Education Alliance (GMA), and Wang Shaiguo, CEO of XuetangX, led a delegation from the GMA Secretariat, Tsinghua University, and XuetangX to meet with representatives from Seoul National University (SNU) and K-MOOC in Seoul, Korea. From March 14^th to 15^th, the delegation visited Bangkok, Thailand, and met with representatives from Thai MOOC, Thailand Cyber University project, and other Thai universities.

On March 11^th, the delegation visited Seoul National University (SNU). During the meeting, representatives from each party exchanged their experiences in integrating AI into higher education and online education. Additionally, the attendees discussed potential collaboration on the Global Hybrid Classroom project (GHC) organized by GMA and the staff exchange program in the Online Education Network (OEN) organized by the Asian Universities Alliance (AUA). Director of SNU Online Education Center, Professor Jung Yousung, and Professor Kim Minji attended the meeting.

On March 12^th , the delegation visited the National Institute for Lifelong Education (NILE) in Korea and the K-MOOC platform. Attendees discussed a range of cooperation projects including credit recognition and digital literacy workshops. Dr. Park Jong Oh, Executive Director of NILE Division of Digital Lifelong Education, Dr. Hyunmin Lim from KMOOC, and other representatives from NILE and KMOOC joined the meeting.

On March 14^th and 15^th, the delegation engaged in conversations with representatives from Thai MOOC, Thailand Cyber University project, and other Thai universities. Attendees discussed jointly organizing a Digital Literacy Workshop in May 2024 with the aim of promoting digital literacy for Thai and Chinese faculty and exploring the localized application of Rain Classroom in Thailand to facilitate the digital transformation of higher education.

On March 15^th, attendees explored possible collaboration on various projects including the potential for Thai MOOC to co-host the 2024 Global MOOC and Online Education Conference, GMA’s GHC and Global Massive Open Online Challenge (GMOOC), as well as XuetangX’s course exchange, mutual credit recognition, and micro-credential projects on big data and AI with Thai MOOC. A working group was set up to spearhead the bilateral and international cooperation mentioned above. Professor Thapanee Thammetar, Director of Thai MOOC, Professor Preechaya Sittipunt, Director of the International Program in Design and Architecture at Chulalongkorn University, Professor Jintavee Khlaisang, Deputy Director of Thai MOOC, and 30 members from Thai universities attended the meeting.

During the stay in Thailand, the delegation also visited the UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok and further discussed topics around AI-empowered higher education with Prof. Wang Libing, Chief of Section for Education.

The visit promotes multilateral cooperation among GMA and universities and educational platforms in Korea and Thailand on the exploration of digital and online education. The Global MOOC and Online Education Alliance will continue to strive to promote joint teaching, capacity building, knowledge sharing, and public advocacy, and look forward to continued and strengthened collaboration with our members and partners around the world on our commitment to advancing SDG Goal #4: Quality Education.