To deepen international exchanges in nursing education between China and Thailand, align with global frontiers in the nursing industry, expand nursing students’ international vision, strengthen their cross-cultural communication competencies, and develop an international talent training system for nursing, a delegation of outstanding students from the Excellence Program of the School of Nursing, Wenzhou Medical University departed for Chon Buri, Thailand on July 20. The team settled at Burapha University (BUU), a long-term strategic partner institution, to launch a one-month cross-border academic exchange and research program in nursing. Leveraging the well-established cooperation platform and mature collaborative education mechanism built by the two universities over years, the first phase of the overseas research program has been successfully completed. Over the past two weeks, immersed in an all-English international learning environment, the students participated in international teaching training, cutting-edge academic seminars and cross-cultural health and wellness exchange activities. Through mutual learning and dialogue, they refined professional skills, broadened academic perspectives, and fulfilled all phased research objectives.
01 Embark on a New Journey through Immersive Learning building an International Research Bridge via Two-Way Adaptation
Supported by the regular international exchange mechanism between the two universities, Burapha University provided comprehensive and meticulous safety and reception services for the delegation, including dedicated airport pick-up and unified accommodation arrangements, laying a solid foundation for the smooth implementation of the research program. On the day after arrival, the host university held a grand welcome ceremony and project briefing session. The curriculum framework, training schedule, training objectives and assessment system of this program were elaborated in full, helping students grasp international nursing training standards accurately, clarify their phased learning directions and development goals, and develop a more international understanding of the essence of nursing.
During teaching observation, the Nursing Simulation Center of Burapha University demonstrated a standardized international nursing teaching model featuring a closed-loop system of “teacher demonstration, group hands-on practice and on-site assessment for quality improvement”. This model is highly consistent with the nursing education philosophy of Wenzhou Medical University, greatly lowering the barriers to cross-border learning. It enabled students to quickly adapt to overseas teaching rhythms and gain deeper insights into the core competencies of nursing professionals. Meanwhile, the delegation attended Thailand 101, a cross-cultural seminar delivered by Dr. Chingchai Methaphat. Together with local Thai students, they engaged in in-depth discussions on Thai society and culture, etiquette norms, and core principles of cross-cultural nursing communication. The session helped students systematically develop cross-cultural nursing thinking and built a solid cultural and communicative foundation for subsequent international clinical training and wellness exchange.
02 Refine Craft through Practical Training consolidate Professional Foundations with Advanced Clinical Competencies
Focused on enhancing international clinical nursing capabilities, the research program arranged a series of high-standard, immersive simulated clinical training activities.
In the acute critical care simulation drill, the delegation observed the standardized emergency management conducted by Burapha University students for a simulated patient with pneumonia complicated by acute respiratory failure. Working in well-coordinated teams, the Thai students performed dynamic vital sign monitoring, intravenous access establishment, refined airway management and other core procedures efficiently. They responded rapidly and adopted evidence-based interventions amid simulated deterioration, demonstrating solid practical skills, standardized professional conduct and strong teamwork. Our students reflected on their own practices and drew valuable experience during observation. The activity improved their clinical reasoning and practical abilities in emergency nursing and offered an international reference for optimizing emergency nursing education at our university.
In the specialized surgical suture training, visiting students followed clinical standards to refine suturing techniques on simulation models, standardize workflows and optimize operational details. They consolidated core clinical skills and deepened their understanding of nursing operational specifications and patient safety through practice.
All training courses were delivered in English. While sharpening professional skills, students improved their listening, speaking and practical application of nursing English. They met the dual linguistic and technical requirements for international nursing practice, achieving two-dimensional advancement in professional proficiency and language competence, as well as synchronous growth in clinical capabilities and global vision.
03 Expand Perspectives through Research empower Smart Nursing with Cutting-edge Theories
Learning drives reflection, and reflection broadens horizons. Focusing on global trends in nursing and the development of public health and elderly care systems, the program organized a series of high-level academic lectures, creating a platform for academic exchange and mutual learning between Chinese and Thai nursing communities. Students extended their academic vision and gained deeper understanding of the value of nursing during these sessions.
The lectures illustrated the architecture of Thailand’s universal health coverage system and its three major medical insurance schemes, and analyzed the operating mechanism, advantages and practical outcomes of the 30 Baht Universal Healthcare Scheme. Students acquired comprehensive knowledge of Thailand’s grassroots inclusive healthcare model and service delivery system.
The seminar on integrated care for older adults interpreted the WHO Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE) framework in depth. It centered on the six-dimensional intrinsic capacity assessment system for the elderly and introduced international standards for tiered allocation of elderly care resources and refined management of chronic diseases among older adults. Combining Thailand’s healthcare context, the speaker analyzed gaps in local chronic disease follow-up systems and highlighted community nurses’ key roles in primary care and long-term chronic disease management. The session offered new international perspectives on gerontological nursing and community care, helping students appreciate the social value and humanistic essence of nursing.
In the special lecture on AI-enabled smart nursing, experts from Burapha University presented applications of digital technologies including intelligent health monitoring, computerized nursing documentation and virtual simulation training in modern clinical practice, nursing education and long-term care. The experts emphasized that artificial intelligence serves as a vital auxiliary tool to improve nursing efficiency, while humanistic care and compassionate service remain the irreplaceable core of the nursing profession. This helped students establish a modern, international nursing philosophy of “technology empowerment with humanity at its heart”. During group discussions, our students shared achievements in domestic smart nursing and grassroots care practices, and held critical exchanges regarding nursing development in Thailand, broadening their vision for digital, intelligent and international nursing development.
04 Experience Cultural Humanism facilitate Cross-border Exchange through Wellness Culture
Culture connects people and hearts. To fully understand the core of Thai wellness culture and deepen China-Thailand people-to-people exchanges, the research team participated in diverse immersive cultural activities. The delegation visited the library of Burapha University and the China-Thailand Confucius Institute. The university library features clear zoning and complete functions, with diverse learning spaces and abundant Chinese and English collections, reflecting the modern educational environment and inclusive academic atmosphere of Thai higher education institutions. The China-Thailand Confucius Institute blends classical Chinese courtyard architecture with Thai campus culture. As a vivid symbol of bilateral cultural exchange and educational collaboration, it bears witness to the profound heritage of China-Thailand educational cooperation and nurtures students’ international humanistic literacy through cultural immersion.
Accompanied by Thai peers, the team experienced distinctive local wellness culture. During Muay Thai workshops, students learned about traditional Thai exercise-based wellness concepts and the philosophy of physical and mental harmony through activity intervention. Basic Thai language courses equipped students with daily communication phrases to remove cross-border communication barriers and support follow-up research activities. In traditional wellness sessions, students experienced Thai massage and herbal sauna. They gained insight into the core philosophy of traditional Thai wellness — gentle regulation, body reinforcement and rehabilitative support — and understood how local natural healing culture integrates with modern nursing services, enabling two-way recognition and absorption of cross-cultural wellness concepts.
The two-week phased research schedule was intensive, diversified and fruitful. From international clinical skill training and cutting-edge nursing academic seminars to integration of cross-cultural wellness philosophies and exchange of educational experience, students enhanced their practical proficiency, academic critical thinking and cross-cultural nursing literacy in the all-English international learning environment. This overseas program not only allowed nursing students of Wenzhou Medical University to benchmark against global nursing standards and upgrade professional capabilities, but also strengthened collaboration, academic communication and cultural integration between the two universities. It injected new momentum into joint international nursing talent training and high-quality development of cross-border nursing education. Moving forward, the delegation will continue dedicated research and diligent practice, further promote international nursing exchanges, and write a new chapter for China-Thailand cooperation in nursing education.
