KUNMING -- Tanapa Suraruangchai wants to settle in Kunming, capital of Southwest China's Yunnan province, though the 21-year old Thai girl has only been here for two years.

"At first, I just came here looking for suppliers for the family business, but as I continued to stay here, I gradually fell in love with Chinese culture and language," she said.

Majoring in International Trade at Kunming University of Science and Technology, Tanapa is one of the increasing number of overseas students in Yunnan.

As China's gateway to Southeast Asia and South Asia, the border province is building itself into a frontier in the country's new round of opening up.

The 2nd Yunnan-South Asia and Southeast Asia Education Cooperation Forum was held in Kunming Tuesday, with 11 agreements inked to continue to deepen educational cooperation between Yunnan and its neighboring countries.

More than 500 experts and scholars from 31 countries and regions participated in the forum, exchanging ideas on topics including cultural exchanges, vocational education cooperation and the establishment of a university alliance.

"In recent years, Yunnan has expanded opening up in the area of education, attracting 19,300 foreign students studying here," said Zhou Rong, head of the provincial education department, at the forum.

According to Zhou, Yunnan has launched 31 programs concerning sino-foreign cooperation in running schools and established 15 Confucius Institutes (classes) in overseas countries.

More than 600 teachers and students in Yunnan are selected every year to study abroad through government-sponsored programs, he added.

So far, the province has built vocational education centers in countries including Thailand, Laos, Myanmar and Bangladesh. The Lancang-Mekong vocational education alliance is also under construction.

"Thanks to the open education system, Laos has signed 36 memorandums of cooperation with Chinese educational institutions. We look forward to stronger academic ties and deeper cooperation with South and Southeast Asian countries," said Somsy Gnophanxay, president of the National University of Laos, at the forum.