Finding STEM beyond the classroom

Ideas become lessons

The approach took shape during the final stage of the program, when the 43 participants were divided into six groups to design AI-enhanced STEM lessons based on what they had seen and learned.

Kith's group drew inspiration from a traditional calendar they encountered during a visit to a museum dedicated to the Sui ethnic group in Sandu Sui autonomous county.

Their lesson plan would ask students to create paper calendars, using mathematics to calculate dates and identify patterns, engineering principles to improve the design, and AI tools to develop and refine creative ideas.

Other participants began turning to their own cultural heritage for inspiration.

Nop Chann, principal of Chann Yun International School, was part of a group that chose Angkor Wat as the basis for its lesson. The group explored the mathematical principles embedded in the temple's design and construction.

"Angkor Wat is more than 900 years old," he said. "Even without modern technology, its builders created a magnificent structure with remarkable mirror and rotational symmetry."

According to Zhang, the participants are expected to continue developing their lesson plans after returning to Cambodia. They will put their ideas into practice, refine the lessons and share their experiences with Chinese educators.

"We have established a long-term cooperation mechanism," he said.

The exchange also sparked interest in further study. Yang Sizhuo, director of the department of English at QNUN, served as an interpreter during the program. She said some Cambodian teachers asked whether the university offered AI courses and hoped to return to Guizhou for longer-term, more systematic study.

"In the past, they may have thought that only major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen had abundant educational resources," Yang said. "But this visit showed them that Guizhou also has strong teaching and research capabilities."

Yin, who has more than 400,000 followers on Facebook, shared his experiences in Guizhou online throughout the trip and received positive feedback from audiences overseas. The program also helped him build connections with Chinese university professors, and he hopes to invite Chinese students to visit Cambodia and work on joint projects in the future.

"STEM has no borders. Science is a universal language," Yin said. "Through it, we can work together and strengthen our cooperation."

Zhang Bishan contributed to this story.