Developing an International Double Degree Undergraduate Chinese Language Program in a Thai Public University: From Theory to Practice

Abstract

International double degree programs have become an increasingly prominent mechanism for advancing higher education internationalization, yet empirical, practice-based accounts of their development and early implementation—particularly at the undergraduate level and within non-Western contexts—remain limited. This article presents a reflective case study of the development and early enactment of an international undergraduate double degree program in the Chinese language jointly delivered by a Thai public university and a Chinese partner university.Drawing on institutional records, curriculum documents, cohort monitoring data, and reflective observations accumulated since the program’s launch in 2021, the study examines how internationalization principles were translated into curriculum design, governance arrangements, and operational practice. The analysis traces the program’s development journey through strategic partnership formation, curriculum co-design guided by outcome-based education, and the establishment of administrative and support structures. It then examines implementation in practice through the experiences of the first student cohorts, highlighting both achievements and challenges related to language proficiency thresholds, academic adjustment, student mobility, and institutional coordination. The reflections foreground how student experiences and feedback were used not only as outcomes of implementation but also as inputs for curriculum improvement, illustrating a continuous, stakeholder-informed development cycle. Rather than offering a prescriptive model, the article contributes a contextually grounded and critically reflective account of Thai-China undergraduate collaboration. It provides insights into the complexities, negotiations, and adaptive strategies involved in cross-border double degree programs, offering transferable lessons for institutions seeking to design, implement, or refine similar initiatives in ASEAN and comparable higher education contexts.