CP, XJTLU launch Thailand centre linking AI, industry and future learning

Charoen Pokphand Group (CP Group) and Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) have officially launched the “CP COE – XJTLU: Syntegrative Education Centre (Thailand)”, a new initiative aimed at bringing education closer to business, innovation and real-world problem-solving as AI and digital technology reshape the future of learning.

The launch marks a new step in CP Group’s effort to strengthen people development and innovation through its CP Centre of Excellence (CP COE), a key mechanism designed to raise knowledge, standards and capability across the organisation.

The new partnership with XJTLU, a leading international university founded through collaboration between China and the United Kingdom, is intended to help create a future learning system that connects education more directly with industry and society.

A signing ceremony for the partnership was held at True Tower’s Auditorium in Bangkok on Friday (April 3).

Real-world learning at heart of CP vision

The initiative builds on the vision of Dhanin Chearavanont, Senior Chairman of CP Group, who has long stressed the importance of human development as the foundation of national competitiveness, as well as Suphachai Chearavanont, who founded CP COE to help transform the group into a tech-driven company by linking knowledge, technology and business at a global level.

Dhanin said education in today’s world must move beyond theory and into real practice, arguing that people gain true wisdom by solving real problems. He said challenges from industry should become a platform for young people to learn, experiment and improve, much like start-ups testing ideas in the real world.

Preparing people to keep pace with technology and constant change, he said, is essential not only for CP’s business expansion in Thailand and overseas, but also for the country’s long-term development.

“People development is at the heart of national development. We must create a learning system that is connected to the real world, so people can think effectively, act effectively and create real value,” he said.

“This collaboration lays an important foundation for developing the next generation and enhancing the country’s long-term potential.”

He added that learners will gain both innovative knowledge and practical experience from CP Group, its affiliated companies, and a wide range of industries in Thailand and around the world.

AI era demands a new education model

A central theme of the partnership is the impact of AI on education. Prof Youmin Xi, Executive President of XJTLU, said the world is entering an era in which AI and digital technologies are redefining education.

He argued that the traditional university model, focused mainly on transmitting knowledge, is losing relevance because students can now access information, solutions and AI-generated support far beyond the classroom.

Instead, he said, education must focus on developing people more holistically, including critical thinking, creativity and the ability to integrate knowledge across disciplines, which he described as “syntegrative wisdom”.

He said universities must help students, society and industry develop a new form of education that enables people to use AI, AI agents and digital platforms as tools, rather than become controlled by them.

Prof Xi also warned that universities cannot afford to wait passively for disruption. In his view, higher education institutions need bold and disruptive innovation if they are to remain relevant in the future.

He described Thailand as a promising environment in which to test a more flexible and globally relevant education model, with the longer-term ambition of helping to shape a new model for the future.

He said the future of education must serve as a lifelong learning ecosystem that connects people, technology and industry. The partnership aims to develop a Syntegrative Education System that combines knowledge, hands-on learning and systematic collaboration across sectors. Learners will work on real business challenges, from analysing problems and developing solutions to testing them in practice.

Under the centre, flexible micro-credentials, short courses and collaborative research and development programmes will be introduced in partnership with CP Group, with the aim of producing knowledge and innovation that can be applied directly in industry.

“In the future, this will be a lifelong learning society. Everyone needs to learn, whatever their age,” Prof Xi said. He added that XJTLU is working with CP to strengthen collaboration between industry and education, creating a real-world, problem-based learning environment where students can tackle industry challenges while building their capabilities and generating innovative ideas that move society forward.

New programmes aim to build talent and innovation

Suphachai Chearavanont, Senior Vice Chairman of CP Group, said the private sector can genuinely serve as a learning centre for society and should play a role in people development alongside economic growth.

He said CP COE would act as an important mechanism for connecting knowledge, technology and business experience to support a new learning model, while the partnership with XJTLU marks a major step in taking that concept onto the international stage.

Teerapon Tanomsakyut, Chief of Sustainability and Strategic Development Officer at CP Group, said the partnership brings together the strengths of business and academia to create a learning system that responds to the real world.

He said the first three flagship programmes will focus on AI and Robotics, Digital Transformation, and Business & Start-up.

Each programme, he said, will include a finance component so learners can understand value creation in practical terms and build towards real business applications and solutions.

Learning will take place in real environments, including CP facilities and True Digital Park, where participants will also be able to tap into a broader ecosystem of start-ups and partners in fields such as AI, robotics, cloud, biotech and healthtech.

Teerapon said today’s world is changing rapidly, with AI transforming the way people work and improving supply chain management. Competition, he said, is no longer determined simply by who has more resources, but by who can learn and adapt faster.

He added that the project goes beyond people development alone and is also part of a broader effort to help position Thailand as an innovation hub. It will support talent development, strengthen the start-up ecosystem, attract global talent from both Thailand and overseas, and bring knowledge from technology partners into course development.

Thailand hub backed as future global learning model

Prof Xiaojun Zhang, Chief Officer of Education at XJTLU, said the partnership goes beyond the signing of an agreement and instead lays the groundwork for a future learning ecosystem that connects education with the real world and gives learners greater opportunities to develop through direct industry experience.

The model is also intended to support lifelong learning, with flexible formats for students, working people, entrepreneurs and business leaders, including evening, weekend and holiday study options.

“This partnership will not only nurture future-ready leaders and high-calibre talent but also support industry upgrading and create long-term value for both parties and the broader region,” Prof Zhang said.

Both sides said the collaboration is about more than improving education alone. They believe it can help lay the foundations for a global learning ecosystem, support Thailand’s ambition to become an international learning hub in the digital economy, and strengthen the links between education, business and society in ways that drive talent development, innovation and long-term economic growth.