CP Group and Tsinghua University Partnership Marks the Launch of a Global Talent Development Network
PhD students from China's premier tech university begin six-week research placements at CP Group, developing future researchers through real-world business experience while gaining insights from Senior Chairman Dhanin Chearavanont on talent development and innovation.
BANGKOK, 30 June 2026 – Charoen Pokphand (CP) Group has proclaimed the Tsinghua University × CP Group Graduate Student Practice Base 2026 a crucial model for collaboration between the corporate sector and the world’s leading universities. The initiative, which posits actual business challenges as learning opportunities for the most promising research students, future business leaders and innovative thinkers, was launched this week, partnering the Thai conglomerate with Tsinghua University, China’s top-ranked science and technology institution and widely regarded as one of the world’s foremost universities.
CP Group considers this a pilot programme for its strategy of building a network of similar partnerships with the world’s most prominent universities. Through this, CP intends to provide opportunities for students, researchers and young professionals to learn through direct engagement with real-world business contexts, and at the same time cultivate, trial and refine innovative concepts, approaches and designs with the potential to positively impact the economy, society and the nation. Further collaborations of this kind with leading universities from elsewhere in the world will enable CP Group to establish an international ecosystem for the development of talent and innovation.
The eleven Tsinghua PhD students selected for the pilot scheme arrived in Thailand on Sunday and began their first day of activities by meeting CP Group’s Senior Chairman, Mr Dhanin Chearavanont, who spoke to them of the importance of learning and development, innovation and effective business management in a rapidly changing world.
Mr Dhanin drew from his immense wealth of experience to share insights into how the integration of knowledge, technology and human potential can allow organizations to grow in a sustainable manner. He emphasized that “developing people means shaping the future," asserting that giving research students the chance to engage with authentic challenges facing the private sector would accelerate the emergence of practical innovations that bring long-term benefits for society.
Among the other senior executives also in attendance to offer insight and encouragement were: Mr Prasit Boondoungprasert, Chief Executive Officer of Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF); Mr Thanit Chearavanont, Group Chief Wholesale Business Officer and Commercial Officer of CP AXTRA; Dr Teerapon Tanomsakyut, Chief Sustainability and Strategic Development Officer and Chief Business Intelligence and Strategic Communication Officer of CP Group; and Ms Pimonrat Reephattanavijitkul, Chief People Officer of CP Group.
Prior to meeting the Senior Chairman, the students took part in an orientation session at True Tower, Ratchadaphisek Rd, in which Ms Pimonrat gave a presentation entitled ‘HR Strategies and the Employee Experience,’ addressing approaches to building workforce capacity within the global organization that simultaneously enrich the employee experience.
This was followed by an overview from Dr Teerapon of CP Group’s strategic vision, providing the students with an understanding of the leading role it holds across multiple sectors, including agro-industry, food, retail, telecommunications, digital, technology, and sustainable development. He also outlined the CP Group’s six core values, representing the cornerstones upon which its business operations have been built.
The orientation was also an opportunity for the Tsinghua students to introduce themselves, share their research interests, and meet executives and members of staff before starting work at their assigned business units.
Over the course of six weeks, between 29 June and 8 August, the eleven guests will be involved in nine research projects across CP Group business units, with four participants assigned to CP AXTRA, five to CP Foods, one to Ascend Group, and one to True Internet Corporation (True IDC).
Their areas of research span aspects of technological innovation that are due to play crucial roles in shaping tomorrow’s world, including: AI Agents, Large Language Models (LLMs), Retail Smart Supply Chain Optimization, Food AI, Biotechnology, AI-based fraud detection, and Quantum Intelligence. In each area, the goal is to jointly develop solutions which hold practical business applications.
This is a collaboration reflective of CP Group’s maxim, ‘connecting world-class universities with world-class businesses’, and its drive to extend learning beyond the classroom and into real-world applicability through cooperation between business executives, research students and industry experts.
Tsinghua University × CP Group Graduate Student Practice Base 2026 therefore has a significance that extends beyond work experience alone. Rather, it marks the starting point for a global collaborative platform focussed on talent development, research and innovation. CP Group’s ambition is for the world’s foremost universities to join the platform, enabling the development of knowledge, innovation and the brightest emerging talent as key drivers of sustainable growth for the economy, the nation and the global community.
Universities are our source of knowledge, and the business world is where this knowledge is transformed into value. Therefore, close cooperation between the two will inevitably accelerate innovation and produce individuals who are truly prepared to embrace the challenges posed by the future.
