CP Group and Xi’an Jiaotong–Liverpool University team up to launch ‘Syntegrative Education Center’, connecting education, business and innovation to infuse learning with real-life practicality

BANGKOK, 3 April 2026 Charoen Pokphand (CP) Group has underlined its credentials on the world stage by announcing a new partnership that aims to build on its achievements in human development and technological innovation. The Thai conglomerate is collaborating with Xi’an Jiaotong–Liverpool University (XJTLU), a leading international university established through cooperation between China and the United Kingdom, to extend the range of services on offer at the CP Center of Excellence (CP CoE).

The center – located in Bangkok’s True Digital Park – is already the largest technology and startup hub in ASEAN and home to the CP Group Innovation Excellence Center, which is well established as an ecosystem that is driving innovation across the region. Today it was revealed that the CoE will also be the site of the CP COE – XJTLU Syntegrative Education Center (Thailand).

The Syntegrative Education Center will bring together the academic expertise of XJTLU — the largest Sino-foreign cooperative university in China — and CP Group, one of the world’s leading diversified business conglomerates. It will give learners access to cutting-edge resources, pioneering research and real-world experience, shared by CP Group in addition to affiliates spanning numerous industries in Thailand and around the world.

The learning center’s launch – formalized at a signing ceremony held in True Tower, Ratchadaphisek Road – marks a significant step towards the realization of a ‘Future Learning System' that connects the education sector with the business world. The concept is rooted in the vision of Mr Dhanin Chearavanont, CP Group’s Senior Chairman, who has consistently emphasized the crucial role of human development in establishing national competitiveness. The CP Center of Excellence was founded by Mr Suphachai Chearavanont, Senior Vice Chairman of CP Group, who conceived it as both a launchpad for the conglomerate’s transition into a Tech-Driven Company and a global hub for the integration of knowledge, technology and business.

These are ambitions that chime with leaders in education such as Professor Youmin Xi, Executive President of XJTLU, who perceives the changes brought by AI and digital technology as an opportunity for the learning experience to benefit from a more pronounced practical dimension that draws directly on the challenges facing business and industry in the real world.

Mr Dhanin has long called for learning in the modern era to be informed by authentic practical experience that addresses actual concerns, citing this as key to obtaining true wisdom. Challenges of this nature would therefore constitute a learning platform for younger generations which is comparable to that of start-ups: experimenting in circumstances with real stakes, addressing genuine problems, analyzing mistakes to ensure they are never repeated, and overcoming setbacks by implementing improvements.

He also places great emphasis on the need to ensure people are adequately prepared for the changes that technological advances will bring. As CP Group continues to expand its businesses domestically and internationally, it relies on the capacity of a huge number of employees around the world. This means that, in addition to the workforces of many industry partners, there a vast pool of knowledge potentially available to inform university programs and vocational courses.

Reiterating that human development lies at the heart of national growth, Mr Dhanin envisions a system of learning that is connected to the real world, allowing participants to think, act and create real value. Collaboration between the education sector and the business world is therefore essential both for developing future generations and for maximizing the long-term potential and future successes of the nation.

Prof Xi stated, “We’re entering an era in which education is being redefined by AI and digital technologies, moving beyond the transfer of knowledge toward a more holistic form of human development. This encompasses critical thinking, creativity and the ability to integrate knowledge across disciplines, which is what syntegrative wisdom is. Universities of the future will be required to function as lifelong learning ecosystems connecting people, technology and industry.”

In this regard, Mr Suphachai reaffirmed the CP Group’s belief in the capability of private sector organizations to serve society by functioning as learning centers that support human development alongside the pursuit of economic growth.

The CP CoE has been positioned as a nexus for knowledge, technological progress and business experience to facilitate new, integrated approaches to learning. The involvement of XJTLU is an important step in the extension of this concept into the international domain, with the CP COE – XJTLU Syntegrative Education Center serving as a beacon for innovation inspired by interconnectivity between education and business.

Dr Teerapon Tanomsakyut, CP Group’s Chief of Sustainability and Strategic Development Officer, described the boost this collaboration will give to the construction of an education system more responsive to real-world needs through the combination of business and academic expertise.

He added that this system would see human development stem from a focus on real challenges that identifies solutions that can be applied to business and society.

As an international learning hub, the Syntegrative Education Center will offer practical, action-oriented learning by integrating research from leading universities with business expertise and case studies. The initial programs will focus on three key areas: (i) AI and Robotics, (ii) Digital Transformation, and (iii) Business and Startups.

Professor Xiaojun Zhang, XJTLU’s Chief Officer of Education stated, “This collaboration is not merely the signing of an agreement, but the foundation of a future learning ecosystem that connects education with the real world and enables learners to develop their potential through real, hands-on industry experience.”

The center is also designed to support lifelong learning, catering to diverse learner groups — from students and working professionals to entrepreneurs and organizational leaders — and offering flexibility through a range of schedules, including evening, weekend and term-break classes.

This is a collaboration intended to not only improve standards of education but to lay the foundations of a global learning ecosystem equipped for the digital economy era. Thailand is poised to become an international learning hub in this new ecosystem, where education, business and society will be aligned to advance human development, innovation and economic growth on a national, regional and global scale.