On November 15, the Annual Conference of China & South Africa Technical and Vocational Education Cooperation Alliance & Industrial Development Seminar sponsored by the China Center for International People-to-People Exchange, Ministry of Education (CCIPE) and organized by the Yellow River Conservancy Technical Institute was successfully held. Du Kewei, Director and Yang Xiaochun, Deputy Director of CCIPE, Mwansa, General Secretary of Zambia-China Friendship Association, Diao Yuhua, Deputy Director-General of Education Department of Henan Province, Xu Yan, Secretary of Party Committee of YRCTI as well as Zhu Yuhua, Deputy Secretary of Party Committee and President of YRCTI were present at the opening ceremony and over 150 people from the members of the Alliance, higher vocational colleges inside and outside Henan Province and enterprises attended the meeting. The opening ceremony was presided over by Zhu Yuhua.
Conference scene
Speech by Du Kewei, Director of the China Center for International People-to-People Exchange, Ministry of Education
Speech by Mwansa, General Secretary of Zambia-China Friendship Association
Speech by Diao Yuhua, Deputy Director-General of Education Department of Henan Province
Welcoming speech by Xu Yan, Secretary of Party Committee of YRCTI
Opening ceremony presided over by Zhu Yuhua, Deputy Secretary of Party Committee and President of YRCTI
Letter of Intent between China Center for International People-to-People Exchange, Ministry of Education and YRCTI for Co-building “Dayu School”
Xu Yan delivered the welcoming speech and introduced the long history, distinct education characteristics and the glorious achievements obtained. He pointed out that during the recent years, YRCTI continuously deepened the international exchange and cooperation and witnessed the improvement of international education level. Actively responding to the national “Belt and Road” Initiative, YRCTI carried out international talent cultivation and cooperation with enterprises “going global”, promoted the communication and cooperation between the domestic and international colleges and enterprises and made a significant contribution to the cultivation of technical and skilled talents and people-to-people exchange. YRCTI undertook the “Hydraulic Model Test of Sudan Hydraulic Power Plant”, “Mapping of Ethiopian Wind Power Plant”, “Hydraulic Model Test in Shangganni, Zimbabwe” and etc., cooperated with the Sinohydro Bureau 11 and founded the Zambia Dayu School of Yellow River Conservancy Technical Institute, cultivating the urgently needed local technical and skilled talents and opening a new chapter for the overseas education of YRCTI. YRCTI had built a cooperation relationship with 55 universities and educational institutions from 28 countries and regions and initiated 7 international cooperation education projects with the South Ural State University, Russia and other universities. He also emphasized that the “Belt and Road” Initiative had brought about new opportunities for the internationalization of China’s higher vocational education and the Implementation Plan for National Vocational Education Reform also proposed new requirements for the reform and development of vocational education. China & South Africa Technical and Vocational Education Cooperation Alliance being the high-end brand in the international vocational exchange and cooperation, it was of great significance in enhancing the people-to-people exchange between China and South Africa or even other African countries and improving the vocational cooperation. He expressed the expectation that all participants could discuss new actions to deepen the industry-education integration in a deep-going way based on the new industrial development situations of China and South Africa and new demands for the cultivation of technical and skilled talents, actively share the typical experience in vocational colleges of both countries serving the industrial development and cooperation and play an active role in promoting the vocational exchange and cooperation between China and South Africa or even other African countries and facilitating the vocational education in the “Belt and Road” Initiative construction and the community of shared future for the mankind. He stated that as the Standing Vice-chairman organization of the Chinese Council for the Alliance, Yellow River Conservancy Technical Institute would make greater contributions through cultivating more international technical and skilled talents.
During the speech of Du Kewei, he pointed out that the Chinese government highlighted the Sino-African cooperation. In September 2018, during the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), President Xi Jinping announced that China would assist Africa through “eight actions”, including industrial promotion, infrastructure connectivity, trade facilitation, green development, capacity building, health and sanitation, people-to-people exchanges, peace and security and raised the concept to build a Sino-African community of a shared future with the shared responsibility, win-win cooperation, shared happiness, shared culture, shared security and harmonious coexistence, opening the new chapter for Sino-African cooperation in a new era. He emphasized that this conference played a significant role in promoting the Sino-African education cooperation and people-to-people exchange in the new era, boosting the Sino-African industrial cooperation and the alignment of development strategies and serving the construction of both the “Belt and Road” Initiative and the Sino-African community of a shared future. Then, he proposed 3 suggestions on the future development of the Alliance: 1. Construct the platform of the Alliance. All parties should adhere to the people-to-people exchange philosophy, integrate the advantageous resources, develop the cooperative effect and realize the mutual-development and mutual benefit based on the Alliance platform; 2. Play the role of the Alliance. It was required to keep the demand-, problem-, goal- and achievement-oriented development, deeply understand the Chinese and African vocational cooperation and talent cultivation demands and the “Belt and Road” Initiative construction demands and formulate the development program and work plan of the Alliance to serve the shared Sino-African economic development and the construction of the Sino-African community of a shared future; 3. Realize the sustainable development. All parties observed the concept of “achieving shared growth through discussion and collaboration”, grasped the developmental demands, improved the service quality and levels and deemed promoting the level of opening up for member institutes, enterprises and institutions as one the significant objectives for the Alliance. Through the “bringing in” and “going out” of both colleges and enterprises, the Alliance would serve and facilitate the bilateral and multi-lateral talent cultivation, industry-education integration, industrial development and people-to-people exchanges between China and South Africa or between China and other African countries, and play the demonstration and leading role to realize the sound and healthy sustainable development.
During the speech of Mwansa, he introduced the founding and development conditions of the Zambia-China Friendship Association and pointed out that the Association was dedicated to enhancing the mutual understanding and friendship between Chinese people and Zambian people and building the people-to-people connection between both nations with educational and cultural fields included. To facilitate the development of vocational education institutions in Zambia and China, the Association participated in Joint Research Center on the “Belt and Road” Initiative and other projects and actions and strengthened the human resource training through providing more training chances. He expressed the expectation that both parties would put more efforts and further enhance the effective cooperation to facilitate the people-to-people exchanges and vocational education development between both nations and create a better future.
Diao Yuhua introduced the conditions of Henan Province in his speech and pointed out that till the end of 2018, over 20 universities and colleges in the Province had enrolled 1,051 African students, indicating a prosperous trend of the educational exchanges between the universities and colleges in Henan Province and African countries. This annual conference would definitely enhance the cooperation in educational culture, science and technology service, student cultivation and other aspects between China and South Africa. He emphasized that as the competent authority of the education system in Henan, the Education Department of Henan Province advocated and encouraged the international education exchanges and cooperation to provide the talent reserve and support for international cooperation. He raised the requirement that the vocational colleges would rely on the investment projects in Africa by Chinese enterprises, actively develop the order-form new staff training and education of overseas students and improve the employment ability of African youths. In his speech, the vocational colleges were going to enhance the teacher training and exchanges in vocational education and provide the customized services according to the teacher training demand of African vocational education. He expected that the Chinese and African vocational colleges should regularly hold bilateral exchanges, continuously improve the cooperation mechanism and deepen the exchanges and cooperation based on the educational resource advantages in Henan Province, industrial development advantages and combined with the demand for African vocational education.
Yang Xiaochun reported the 2019 work summary and 2020 work plan in the conference on behalf of the Chinese Council of the Alliance. During the conference, the newly added members of the Chinese Council were announced with certificates issued. The China Center for International People-to-People Exchange Ministry of Education and YRCTI signed the letter of intent for co-building the “Dayu School”.
Dong Zhenhua, Deputy-director of Vocational and Adult Education Division, Ministry of Education, and Du Kewei, Director of China Center for International People-to-People Exchange Ministry of Education delivered reports respectively themed by Implementing 20 Rules for Vocational Education and Accelerating the Modernization of Vocational Education and Facilitating the International Exchanges and Cooperation in Vocational Education under the Philosophy of People-to-people Exchanges. Lin Jinhui, Chief of Center of Research on Chinese-Foreign Cooperation in Running Schools, Xiamen University and President of Branch for Chinese-Foreign Cooperation in Running Schools, China Association of Higher Education and Mike Kuria, the Executive Deputy Secretary-General of InterUniversity Council for East Africa interpreted the Guide in Overseas School-running of Colleges and Universities, describing the construction conditions of Centre of Youth Human Resource Development and Excellence for Vocational Education in the East Africa.
During the keynote speeches, Dai Yuwei, the Secretary of Party Committee of Tianjin Light Industry Vocational Technical College, Sangde Gelande, Chief of Joint Research Center on “Belt and Road” Initiative of the University of Zambia, Jian Haoran, Deputy-principal of Yellow River Conversancy Technical Institute, and Chen Jiquan, Chairman of Yalong Intelligent Equipment Group Co., Ltd. delivered keynote speeches on building the “Luban Workshop” platform to co-cultivate the technical and skilled talents, African youth growth and human resource development, enterprise-college cooperation serving the “Belt and Road” Initiative construction, cultivating international talents via Dayu Schools, ideas on cultivation models for high-end technical and skilled talents in the artificial intelligence era, to predict the new trend and demands for Sino-African industrial cooperation and development.
During the roundtable discussion, Gong Fanghong, the Principal of Wuxi Institute of Technology, Wang Tianzhe, Principal of Shaanxi College of Communication Technology, Cai Zhimin, General Manager of Suzhou Keyinsi Intelligent Technology Co.. Ltd., Liu Zhao, Joint Chief of Joint Research Center on “Belt and Road” Initiative of University of Zambia, Lu Hong, Director of Office of International Affairs of Chongqing City Management College and Wang Jian, Educational Cooperation Director, Talent Ecological Development Department of Huawei Technologies delivered their ideas on the issue, “China-Africa vocational education and youth talent cultivation”; Dong Lisheng, Deputy-president of Zhengzhou Railway Vocational & Technical College, Sangde Gelande, Chief of Joint Research Center on “Belt and Road” Initiative of University of Zambia, Niu Changsong, Associate Researcher in Institute of African Studies, Zhejiang Normal University, Liao Junjie, Deputy-president of Guangdong Industry Polytechnic, Duan Xiaofei, Deputy-president of Sunmaker Oil & Gas Training Institute in Uganda, Du Jiangen, Deputy-president of Henan Polytechnic Institute, and Yang Hui, Deputy Chief of Center for African Studies, Yunnan University discussed about the practical experience in “building platforms to facilitate the consistency and resonance of people-to-people exchanges and industrial cooperation”.
Before the opening of the annual conference, the Chairmen Meeting for the Chinese Council of China & South Africa Technical and Vocational Education Cooperation Alliance was held. During the meeting, the participants reviewed the 2019 work summary and discussed the 2020 work plan of the Alliance; deliberated the application of the new members of the Alliance; studied the “Belt and Road” Initiative vocational cooperation project plan; proposed the expectation to build an international people-to-people exchange training base for vocational colleges and other detailed plans, laying a solid foundation for the success of the annual conference.
China & South Africa Technical and Vocational Education Cooperation Alliance was founded on January 30, 2018, initiated by the China Center for International People-to-People Exchange Ministry of Education, the Industry and Manufacturing Training Agency of Higher Education and Training Department, Republic of South Africa, relevant government sectors, colleges and enterprises in China and South Africa, totaling 58 organizations. The Alliance is designed to build an open platform, promote the China and South Africa vocation cooperation, deepen the industry-education integration, innovate in the cultivation modes for technical and skilled talents and develop the guiding, fundamental and extensive role of educational training in people-to-people exchanges, economic development and industrial upgrading under the principles of achieving shared growth through discussion and collaboration. The Alliance undertook the mission to co-cultivate the China-South Africa and Sino-African technical and skilled talents, operated under the thought of building platforms, formulating rules, establishing criteria, constructing projects and setting brands and guided all the members to carry out the Sino-African education cooperation, thus facilitating the people-to-people exchanges. YRCTI was selected as an Executive Vice-chairman organization of the Chinese Council for China & South Africa Technical and Vocational Education Cooperation Alliance in January 2019.
