Alibaba.com, the global business-to-business (B2B) marketplace of Alibaba Group, has appointed the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC) as its first authorised e-commerce training centre in Thailand.
Both organisations have come together in a bid to accelerate e-commerce growth in Thailand and help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) position themselves in the global market.
UTCC president Sauwanee Thairungroj said faculty members of the business school and science and technology school have been coached by a team from Alibaba to become certified trainers under the Training the Trainers programme.
The newly certified trainers can provide SME operators and UTCC students with e-commerce training courses and other programmes, which would help them access global opportunities.
A three-day e-commerce course by Alibaba will be held for the first time in Thailand in the middle of this month, she said.
The UTCC will have the ability to train more than 5,000 people a year, helping to create more e-commerce entrepreneurs and equipping more SMEs to expand internationally.
Ms Sauwanee said SMEs can potentially drive Thailand's economy if they are given the opportunity to do so.
She said the UTCC is taking the initiative to create more opportunities for those who want to take their B2B ventures to another level.
Jerry Wu, country manager of Alibaba.com Thailand, said he is very excited about the partnership with the UTCC and their trust in the Alibaba.com platform.
"We see great potential in products from Thailand and really look forward to helping more Thai SMEs compete effectively on the global stage through e-commerce," said Mr Wu.
In August, the UTCC became the first Thai university to sign a memorandum of understanding with Alibaba.com to collaborate on several educational projects.
In addition to the Training the Trainers programme, UTCC and Alibaba.com are working together to offer SMEs "Alibaba dream trips" to Hangzhou, China, where the company is based.
Participants get to spend four days at Alibaba.com, learning about the company's corporate culture, online trading, importing and exporting, as well as Alibaba.com member services.
The first batch of participants completed their training in September, and the trip for the second batch of participants is scheduled for this month.