From March 15 to March 18, the Administrative Capacity Development Training Class for Thailand Civil Servants was held at Shanghai Administration Institute. As commissioned by Thailand Civil Service Commission, this training class was the first cooperative education program after the Commission entered into a cooperation agreement with our institute in June 2014. As an important project of the Civil Service Officials Training Institute of Thailand Civil Service Commission, there were 142 governmental officials at the intermediate and senior levels as well as Thailand staff members attending this class.

    On the morning of March 16, Professor MEI Lihong, Dean of SAI, was present at the opening ceremony to brief basic information of our institute to Thailand trainees. Chiefs of the Foreign Affairs Office and Training Division were in company. In combination of the preliminary demands on the part of Thailand, it was arranged that Professor WANG Zhiping and Professor RONG Zhi gave 2 special lectures respectively on Shanghai Economic Growth----from Innovation to Innovation and Practices and Experience on Public Administration and Public Services in Shanghai apart from three on-site teachings at China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone, Hongqiao Integrated Transport Hub and Minhang District’s Integrated Administration and Emergency Management Center. The special lectures were given in English by the 2 professors, and Thailand interpreters worked in on-site teachings so that the trainees were able to learn the training contents more accurately.

    Mrs.Suttilak Uechittaworn, Director of Civil Service Training Institute (Head of Delegate)expressed sincere gratitude to our institute several times in the opening speech and interview video. She said that Shanghai Administration Institute not only had experience in successfully cultivating governmental leaders, but also served as a model with respect to public administration in Shanghai. The training class was held in Shanghai so that Thailand civil servants at the intermediate and senior levels would have an opportunity to get an access to advanced concepts of Shanghai on economic growth and public administration, and improve their leadership. The training at Shanghai Administration Institute realized the initial intention that trainees could learn a lot of experience. They would also take back the experience to Thailand and help Thailand achieve better development.

    By directly communicating with trainees and reading their written feedbacks in English, we also received quite a lot of most immediate feelings about the training. Trainees spoke highly of this training program and commented the course as “innovative”, “smart” and “shocking”. They also described the training generally as “professional”, “sweet” and felt “grateful”. Trainees thought that “Shanghai has successfully carried out the public administration and public services reform and people live happily here;” “this is the best example of how efficient government treats citizens and the management practice of a secured and healthy life;” “as a famous institute, Shanghai Administration Institute is very impressive in all management, and the training program is so great only that it is too short. It will surely encourage more China-Thailand short-term training projects to communicate the most useful experience in bi-lateral interests;” “Shanghai Administration Institute is very professional in arranging this training, and so is every professor and staff member. Teachers are humorous and learned. Staff is kind, nice and efficient;” and that “I feel very good and comfortable when I study at Shanghai Administration Institute. The food is delicious, the campus is clean and the accommodation is wonderful. It also has a complete management system.”

    The Administrative Capacity Development Training Class for Thailand Civil Servants was the first large-sized foreign class held by the Training Division. Different from other foreign training programs, this training was commissioned by the Office of Thailand Civil Service Commission which had entered into a cooperation agreement with our institute and was the practice of our institute to perform the framework cooperation agreement. The success of this training helped strengthen the communication and cooperation between both parties on education and training, drive the friendly exchanges between China and Thailand, and build on the friendship between the people of the two nations.