From December 12 to 13, the First International Conference on Public Affairs (hereafter “the Conference”) was held in Khon Kaen, Thailand. The Conference was hosted by the College of Loacl Administration, Khon Kaen University (COLA), with the deep participation of LUSM as gold sponsor. A four-member delegation of LUSM consisting of LI Yi’nan, Associate Professor, JI Peinan, Young Researcher, GUO Linke and WU Chenlong, postgraduate students attended the Conference.

Focusing on the cutting-edge theme of “Harnessing the Power of AI and Treasuring Public Values”, the Conference attracted over two hundred scholars and practitioners from China, the United States, Germany, Vietnam, Malaysia, and other countries and regions to discuss the latest developments and cutting-edge issues in the field of public affairs. At the opening ceremony, Charnchai Panthongviriyaku, Predisent of Khon Kaen University (KKU), Thailand, and Peerasit Kamnuansilpa, Honorary Dean of COLA, delivered welcoming speeches respectively. The two-day conference featured two round-table forums, one keynote report, and twenty parallel forums covering a wide range of topics in the firld of public affairs, providing participants with opportunities for all-aroud, multi-faceted academic exchanges.

At the Conference, LI Yi’nan received the Partnership Gold Award on behalf of LUSM. At the invitation of the Conference committee, JI Peinan participated in the panel discussion around the the theme of “Opportunities and Challenges in Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals”, discussed with Prof. Kristoffer B. Berse from the University of the Philippines, Prof. Nguyen Van Du, Vice Dean School of Government, UEH University, Vietnam, Asst. Prof. Stefan Kehlenbach from State Universtiy of New York, United States, and Prof. Woothisarn Tanchai from King Prajadhipok’s Institute, Thailand, and introduced to the participants China’s effective management measures and methods in sustainable development. At the breakout sessions, GUO Linke and WU Chenlong gave presentations entitled “Suspicion or Trust? IT Penetration and Regional Trust” and “Positive feedback for positive attitude: evidence from the Leadership Message Board of People’s Daily Online” respectively.

The Conference is the pioneer activity organized by LUSM’s partner institution, with the intention reached during the visit of Dean Prof. Sirisak Laochankham and his delegation during LUSM 20th Anniversary. In the future, the two sides will conduct more cooperation in the academic field of public administration.