The Chinese Program is an adaptation and initiative of Thai higher education institutions (HEIs) for Chinese international students, borrowed from International Programs to embrace the trend of the “One Belt and One Road Initiative” (BRI), and was subsequently adopted by most ASEAN higher education institutions (HEIs). This study applied a comparative educational experiment to explore the similarities and distinctions between Chinese and International Programs in Thai HEIs, with a case study from a top Thai private international university. The study conducted the teaching process for one whole semester in the same course, with two batches instructed in Chinese and English, respectively. At the end of the semester, the research found that the Chinese Program originated from the International program, which shared the same syllabus, curriculum, and even teaching methods; the Chinese program could get similar effects to the international program and be a win-win approach to China-ASEAN collaboration.

[1] UNESCO, (2026). Global flow of tertiary-level students. Retrieved from URL of http://uis.unesco.org/en/uis-student-flow.

[2] Education Office of China Embassy in Thailand, (2016). Proposal of operation norms for Chinese programs at Thailand universities. Retrieved November 15, 2016,  from  URL of http://www.th-chinaembassyedu.org/publish/portal25/tab5220/info129714.htm

[3] Dessoff, A, (2016). Asia's burgeoning higher education hubs. Retrieved from URL of  https://www.nafsa.org/_/file/_/ie_julaug12_asia.pdf.

[4] Rattana L, (2015). A Critical Study of Thailand’s Higher Education Reforms: The culture of borrowing. New York: Routledge.

[5] Yong T, (2026). Study around Southeast Asia, World Book Publishing Ltd., Boulder, 272–278.