WIST, May 17 -- Wang Songtao, deputy director-general of the China Vocational Education Association (CVEA); Suo Long, a cadre from the Liaison Department; and Zhang Bocheng, vice president of Education and Vocation magazine, visited WIST to investigate international cooperation and exchanges. They were accompanied by Chen Liang, executive vice minister of the United Front Work Department (UFWD) of the Hubei Provincial Party Committee; Wang Quan, deputy director of the Party Faction Division of UFWD; Guo Yuejin, director of CVEA in Hubei Province; Xia Tao, director of the Research Office of the Hubei Provincial Committee of the China Democratic National Construction Association; Fan Xiuan, secretary general of CVEA in Hubei Province; He Zeyun, second-level inspector of the Department of Education of Hubei Province; Liu Huaping, deputy director of the Vocational Ability Construction Division of the Human Resources and Social Security Department of Hubei Province; Li Wangyun, vice president of Wuhan Polytechnic; and others. Huang Shihua, secretary of the WIST Party Committee, Chen Changjiang, Deputy Secretary of the WIST Party Committee, heads of relevant departments, and teachers accompanied the investigation.
At the symposium, Huang extended a warm welcome to the guests and presented an overview of WIST’s development history and distinctive features. He emphasized the importance of studying General Secretary Xi Jinping’s significant instructions on vocational education and the spirit of the National Conference on Vocational Education, as well as the need to diligently promote the high-quality development of vocational education at WIST. Aiming to continuously enhance internationalization and adhere to teaching with practical outcomes, WIST will contribute technical talent to support the construction of the BRI. It will actively explore and practice international industry-education integration, Chinese-foreign educational cooperation, and exchange, having already carried out various projects that yielded certain achievements. Furthermore, WIST will persist in exploring and improving the mechanisms and models of international cooperation and exchange in vocational education, aiming to foster mutual prosperity in vocational education both domestically and abroad.
Chen Changjiang gave a report on international cooperation and exchange practice, introducing the vocational education open cooperation approach of WIST, which is “ship-oriented, embarking on a voyage with ships and taking the Maritime Silk Road”. Through the introduction video of Sino-German projects, WIST will vividly showcase our achievements in Sino-German education.
Li Wangyun shared his experience of collaboration in running school programs with Taiwan and engaging in international exchanges. Liu Huaping from the Department of Human Resources and Social Security of Hubei Province introduced the current situation and issues of technical education in Hubei, focusing on serving local economic development and rural revitalization. He Zeyun proposed that vocational education should optimize its positioning and strengthen collaborative innovation with undergraduate colleges based on the new pattern and goals of modern vocational education in the new era. Chen Liang delivered a speech on how to unite and connect with domestic and foreign individuals interested in vocational education.
After listening to the speeches of all parties, Wang Songtao expressed gratitude for their suggestions and stated that he would further organize the exchange contents and compile a research report. He emphasized that vocational education is not education for the impoverished or for livelihood, but rather education for strengthening the country. CVEA will continue to promote international exchanges and cooperation in vocational education, actively explore new methods to improve and enhance vocational education, and contribute more to the development of vocational education with Chinese characteristics.
Before the meeting, the research team visited various places, including WIST’s Ship and Navigation Museum, Sino-German Vocational Education Dual System Practical Teaching Base, Siemens Advanced Automation Technology Training Room, Industrial Automation AHK Training Room, and Intelligent Ship Virtual Simulation Training Base.
