A Delegation from the Ministry of Technology and Science of Zambia
Visits BPC during 2024 WVTEDC

On the afternoon of November 23, a delegation led by Lisulo Precious Mushiba, Director of the Department of Vocational Education and Training of the Ministry of Technology and Science of Zambia paid a friendly visit to Beijing Polytechnic College (BPC). The delegation consisted of Takaiza Cleophas, Director General of the Technical Education, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training Authority (TEVETA) of Zambia, Chikoli Malambo Nalwampa, an official of the Ministry of Technology and Science of Zambia, and Lwando Ndalama Bronson, an aerospace engineer of the Ministry of Technology and Science. Liu Chang'an, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Committee and President of BPC, and Zhou Yan, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Committee and Vice President of BPC met with the delegation in Conference Room 4 of Jiangxin Building.

Scene of reception of the Zambian delegation

At the meeting, Xu Jianshu, Level II Bureau Rank Official of the Beijing Municipal Education Commission, Xu Dandan, Deputy Director of the International Cooperation and Exchange Division of the Beijing Municipal Education Commission, Song Kai, Deputy Director of China Nonferrous Metals Industry Talent Center, and Liang Chimin, Former Chairman of Sino-Zam Vocational College of Science and Technology, and other leaders were in attendance. Additionally, relevant heads from secondary colleges, the Academic Affairs Office, and the International Exchanges and Cooperation Office of BPC were in attendance. Head of the Sino-Zam Vocational College of Science and Technology branch at BPC and the Confucius Classroom and Andrew Simbeye, a teacher representative of the branch was also present. The meeting was chaired by Zhou Yan.

Speech by Lisulo Precious Mushiba, Director of the Department of Vocational Education and Training of the Ministry of Technology and Science of Zambia

Speech by Takaiza Cleophas, Director General of the TEVETA of Zambia

On behalf of the Beijing Municipal Education Commission, Xu Jianshu extended a warm welcome and heartfelt greetings to Ms. Lisulo Precious Mushiba and the delegation. She mentioned that in recent years, with a focus on the Belt and Road Initiative, the Beijing Municipal Education Commission has actively supported partnerships between universities and enterprises. It has also steadily advanced the international education efforts of colleges and universities and facilitated the coordinated development of vocational and Chinese education. As a representative of excellent vocational colleges in Beijing, BPC is among the most influential institutions of its kind in China. The college has played a key role in establishing the Sino-Zam Vocational College of Science and Technology and the Confucius Classroom for vocational education in Zambia, significantly contributing to the development of youth and the training of technical talent in the country. In the future, the Beijing Municipal Education Commission will support the ongoing enhancement of China-Zambia cooperation in vocational education with a more open attitude and pragmatic measures. The goal is to jointly cultivate an increasing number of high-caliber international technical professionals. The Beijing Municipal Education Commission has introduced a series of policies to support international students studying in China and is committed to fostering a "Studying in Beijing" brand. The commission warmly welcomes more outstanding Zambian students to come to China and study, live, and work in Beijing, building bridges for cultural exchanges and serving as envoys of friendship between the two countries.

Speech by Xu Jianshu, Level II Bureau Rank Official of the Beijing Municipal Education Commission

Liu Chang'an delivered a welcome speech on behalf of BPC, highlighting Zambia as a key partner under the framework of China-Africa Belt and Road cooperation. He emphasized the significant achievements the two countries have made through practical cooperation across various areas. BPC and Zambia have been partners in educational initiatives for nine years. They have engaged in extensive cooperation in many areas, such as vocational education, skills training, and cultural exchanges, and achieved remarkable results. The visit of Ms. Lisulo Precious Mushiba and her delegation not only affirmed and encouraged the educational cooperation between BPC and Zambia but also provided a unique opportunity for us to exchange ideas. We eagerly anticipate collaborating with our peers in Zambia to enhance cooperation and exchanges in vocational education, international Chinese education, and other fields. Together, we aim to cultivate high-caliber international technical talent, opening a new chapter in China-Zambia vocational education cooperation. We look forward to achieving even more fruitful results in our future partnership.

Liu Chang'an, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Committee and President of BPC, delivers a welcome speech

In his speech, Song Kai expressed his gratitude to the education department of Zambia, Ms. Lisulo Precious Mushiba, and other leaders for their strong support, which has led to the remarkable success of the Sino-Zam Vocational College of Science and Technology in recent years. He stated that China Nonferrous Metals Industry Talent Center hopes to continuously strengthen its cooperation with Chinese vocational colleges represented by BPC, as well as the education department of Zambia. The goal is to further improve the teaching quality of the Sino-Zam Vocational College of Science and Technology through initiatives such as joint major development, teacher exchanges, and collaborative talent cultivation, thereby building the Sino-Zam Vocational College of Science and Technology into a demonstration project representing educational cooperation between China and Zambia. In the meantime, high-level cooperation projects such as educational planning and principal training should be implemented to foster exchanges and cooperation between China and Zambia on vocational education concepts and models.

Speech by Song Kai, Deputy Director of China Nonferrous Metals Industry Talent Center

Ms. Lisulo Precious Mushiba expressed her gratitude for the warm reception by BPC and conveyed her desire and intention to collaborate with the college on technical skills training and talent development. She mentioned three pillars of Zambia's technical education, vocational, and entrepreneurship training systems, and discussed the current challenges facing the development of the country’s vocational education. These challenges include insufficient infrastructure and equipment, inadequate skills and knowledge training for teachers in digital transformation and blended learning, and a gap between the skilled talent from local training institutions and the demand of the labor market. Ms. Mushiba emphasized that the most urgent need is to provide technical skills training for youth, enabling them to actively contribute to the economy. She expressed her hope to collaborate with top vocational colleges in China to offer skills development education for young people in Zambia and to assist in establishing vocational colleges (Luban Workshops), with a focus on mining, tourism, agriculture, and manufacturing. She mentioned that Zambia will send a team to participate in the 2025 WorldSkills Competition. She expressed hope that BPC could offer technical skills guidance and training for the Zambian participants.

In 2018, Takaiza Cleophas led a delegation on behalf of TEVETA to visit BPC. As an "old friend" of BPC, he expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the college for its robust support in advancing vocational education in Zambia. Mr. Takaiza Cleophas expressed hope that TEVETA would continue to strengthen its collaboration with BPC, conduct training for overseas enterprise employees and local teachers, share resources and equipment, and enable more vocational college instructors like Andrew to visit China for study and training. The goal is to advance the technical skills development of vocational colleges in Zambia and overseas Chinese-funded enterprises and ultimately achieve win-win results.

After the exchange, both parties watched the videos of the graduation ceremony and two-way selection meeting for the second batch of graduates from the Sino-Zam Vocational College of Science and Technology. Currently, all graduates from the college have successfully secured local employment. The delegation also reviewed the teaching resources developed by BPC for the Sino-Zam Vocational College of Science and Technology. These included two professional standards and 37 curriculum standards incorporated into Zambia's national education system, as well as 17 professional English textbooks and four industrial Chinese textbooks. The guests praised the significant accomplishments of the Sino-Zam Vocational College of Science and Technology in terms of education and the quality of talent training.

The two parties watch the videos of the graduation ceremony and two-way selection meeting for the second batch of graduates from the Sino-Zam Vocational College of Science and Technology

The delegation representatives review the teaching standards and resources developed by BPC for the Sino-Zam Vocational College of Science and Technology

Accompanied by Zhou Yan and Song Kai, Lisulo Precious Mushiba and Takaiza Cleophas visited several facilities, including the Sino-French Application-oriented Talent Training and Research Center for Energy Efficiency Management, Automobile Training Base, Digital Design and Manufacturing Center, Intelligent Robot Technology Application Center, and iFLYTEK AI Workshop in succession. They highly praised and fully affirmed BPC's theory-practice integration teaching mode and high-quality training conditions.

Lisulo Precious Mushiba, Takaiza Cleophas and their panel visit the training rooms

China and Zambia have a profound traditional friendship. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Zambia. President Xi Jinping and President Hichilema have upgraded China-Zambia relations to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. The cooperation between the two countries across various areas, such as economy, trade, education, tourism, and culture, has been deepening. Cooperation in education is a vital component of building a China-Zambia community with a shared future. Vocational education plays a critical role in cultivating high-quality technical and skilled talent, thereby supporting the economic and social development of both countries. Looking ahead, BPC will enhance its exchanges and cooperation with Zambia in vocational education, aligning with the positive vision of the Chinese and Zambian governments for such collaborations. This effort aims to inject new momentum and make fresh contributions to the ongoing and future exchanges and cooperation between China and Zambia in vocational education.

Group photo of leaders and guests