Sino-Thai International Rubber College (STIRC) was established in 2015 with official approval of Ministry of Education (EOC) in China, which is launched and operated together by Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Prince of Songkla University and Rubber Valley Group. It is the first cross-border cooperative institution of Engineering in China as well as the first institution among colleges in Shandong Province that is set overseas.
There is historical and realistic foundation of communications between China and Thailand in the rubber industry. China is the largest consumer of natural rubber in the world while Thailand is the largest producer of natural rubber in the world. With the rapid development of the rubber industry, there are already abundant experiences and competitive resources of rubber industry in China. China has formed a cutting-edge and advanced education system in rubber engineering. In the implementation of localization development of rubber industry, Thailand will need well-educated and professional talents. Therefore, it is urgent to establish and develop higher and vocational education in rubber engineering.
During the APEC 2014 Meeting, Prayuth, the Prime Minister of Thailand, granted an interview to Zhang Yan, the chairman of Rubber Valley Group, and he proposed to reach an agreement with QUST and Rubber Valley Group to develop international education cooperation for rubber industry talents in Thailand. Under the cooperation initiative background of “the Belt and Road”, the Sino-Thai International Rubber College has priority to education, teaching characteristics and advantages of rubber industry of China, meeting the demands of development of rubber industry in Thailand for talents.
Based on the Initiative of “One Belt and Road” and the principle of “Rubber Linked and Education First”, STIRC is committed to cultivate professional and technical personnel with cultural awareness of both China and Thailand, with trilingual competence in Thai, Chinese and English, and with familiarity with international rules and rubber chemical industry who could contribute to Sino-Thailand exchanges and cooperation in economy, trade and technology.
STIRC has been fully supported by governments of China and Thailand, industry associations and organizations and numerous enterprises. Since 2017, STIRC has actively recruited students who love rubber industry from ASEAN countries, set a foothold on the expediency of education, and served for the constant progress and long-term development of rubber industry of ASEAN countries.