According to Zhao Yuchi, executive director of the UNESCO-associated International Research and Training Center for Rural Education (INRULED) at Beijing Normal University, basic education collaboration between China and Southeast Asia used to be limited to teacher exchanges. Collaborations like the "Play Math" STEM Innovation and Practice Competition help to "ignite the creativity of teachers and students, making mathematics learning a joyful and exploratory journey, from the heart of Chongqing to border schools in Thailand, and from ASEAN+3 countries to the beyond."