The College of Local Administration at Khon Kaen University (COLA KKU) is making strong strides toward internationalization by forging strategic academic collaborations in Public Affairs and Public Policy with some of the world’s top universities in the People’s Republic of China. From June 2–6, 2025, a high-level delegation from COLA KKU, led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sirisak Laojankham, Dean of the College, held partnership discussions with three prestigious Chinese institutions: Tsinghua University, Renmin University of China, and Fudan University. These initiatives are part of COLA’s 2025 action plan under its strategy to build global-quality networks with countries in the Mekong region, ASEAN, and beyond.

At Tsinghua University, the delegation met with the executive team of the School of Public Policy and Management (SPPM), which ranks as China’s top institution and one of the world’s leaders in the field. Both parties expressed a mutual interest in signing a future strategic partnership MOU. Discussions also included opportunities for COLA’s Master of Public Administration (MPA) students to present research at the 2025 Annual Conference of the Asian Association for Public Administration, which will be hosted at SPPM-Tsinghua in October 2025. Additional plans were outlined for COLA to seek international accreditation from NASPAA (Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration) and to become a member of AAPA (Asian Association for Public Administration).

At Renmin University of China, COLA executives met with leaders from the School of Public Administration and Policy (SPAP), also ranked among the top institutions nationally and globally. The meeting focused on student exchange opportunities, co-hosting an International Workshop on Public Affairs and Public Policy in October 2025, and organizing an international cooperative education (co-op) program in China for COLA students. Further collaboration was discussed in co-developing academic conferences and short-term training programs in public administration and policy.

The COLA delegation also engaged with administrators from the Institute for Global Public Policy (IGPP) at Fudan University, which collaborates with the London School of Economics (LSE) to host the Fudan-LSE International Summer School Program. As part of this partnership, two outstanding COLA students will be selected to participate in the program in Shanghai in July 2025. Discussions also included plans to co-design a tailor-made training program for faculty and public servants, implement short-term student exchange initiatives, and offer scholarships for COLA students to pursue the MPA-Silk Road Program under Chinese government sponsorship.