Sino-foreign educators expand intl vocational training cooperation

Sino-foreign officials and educators in vocational education have vowed to further advance exchanges and cooperation to train more interdisciplinary talents that meet the demands of modern education from growing global collaboration.

Universities and colleges around the world must fully recognize the significance of openness and cooperation in the education sector in the new era and actively promote the internationalization of vocational education with a broader global perspective, said Fang Shusheng, an inspector at the Guangdong provincial department of education.

"Meanwhile we should build global consensus and share responsibilities, deeply engage in the development of the global vocational education governance system, take an active lead in formulating international vocational education rules and standards, and contribute Guangdong's strength to global education governance," he said.

Fang made the remarks at the Guangdong Province "Belt and Road" Vocational Education Alliance 2025 Annual Activities held on Friday in Guangzhou.

Ma Renting, president of Guangzhou Polytechnic University, said his university has established cooperative relations with more than 20 countries and regions, creating a cooperation platform that spans major countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative.

"Through conducting Sino-foreign cooperative education, we will systematically cultivate interdisciplinary professionals who are proficient in Chinese, familiar with the culture, and skilled in specialized technologies," he said.

Sounantha Souvanlasy, dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Health Sciences, Laos, highlighted in-depth exchanges with colleagues from Guangdong Food and Drug Vocational College on Thursday, noting that both parties have reached a basic cooperation agreement.

The cooperation initiative represents a practical step for the two universities to complement each other's strengths and pursue common development, and an extension of educational cooperation in the medical and health field between China and Laos, she said.

"They are bound to cultivate more talents with international perspectives and proficient professional skills for both countries and inject new vitality into the coordinated development of the China and Laos health industry," she added.

More than 200 representatives from 42 domestic and 15 overseas universities and colleges, plus 20 cooperative enterprises, attended the event which included keynote speeches, lectures from Sino-foreign experts and round-table meetings.

Meanwhile, Sino-foreign universities and colleges signed seven cooperation projects, covering areas such as university-university partnerships, university-enterprise collaboration, and international order-based training programs, which accurately align with the needs of international vocational education cooperation and the directions of industrial development.

The signing of the Sino-foreign cooperation agreements will further expand the breadth and depth of Guangdong's international vocational education cooperation.