A Delegation Led by Director of Worldwide Operations at NPTC Group of Colleges Visits BPC for Exchanges

On the afternoon of November 25, Susan Jiang, Chief Representative of Welsh Government Beijing Office, James Llewellyn, Director of Worldwide Operations of NPTC Group of Colleges in the United Kingdom, Sophie Guan, Director of Curriculum Design and Training Department at The Association of Education and Technology (AET), and Shi Jingjing[01], Commercial Manager of AET, visited Beijing Polytechnic College (BPC) for exchanges. Zhou Yan, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Committee and Vice President of BPC, received the guests in the conference room of the International Exchanges and Cooperation Office on the third floor of Jiangxin Building. The head of International Exchanges and Cooperation Office and relevant staff attended at the symposium.

(Scene of the symposium)

Zhou Yan warmly welcomed the guests, provided a brief overview of the recent developments in BPC's international education, and expressed a desire to further strengthen mutual cooperation and exchanges. She emphasized that BPC has developed a solid and effective collaborative relationship with AET and NPTC Group of Colleges, focusing on joint student cultivation and faculty training. She expressed a desire to deepen practical exchanges and cooperation with UK partners, aiming to introduce high-quality global vocational education resources and enhance the college's overall educational standard and international competitiveness.

On behalf of Welsh Government Beijing Office, Susan Jiang expressed her gratitude for BPC's warm reception and highly praised the college's innovative spirit and practical achievements in vocational education and industry-education integration. She stated that the Welsh Government has consistently been dedicated to fostering exchanges and cooperation between China and the UK in the field of education. She expressed her hope that this visit would further deepen mutual understanding and trust, thereby laying a solid foundation for future collaboration.

James Llewellyn emphasized the NPTC Group of Colleges' experience and practices in integrating industry with education. He expressed his anticipation for in-depth collaboration with BPC in several areas, including training base construction, curriculum development, and faculty training. As one of the largest vocational education groups in Wales and the broader UK, NPTC Group of Colleges has brought its rich experience in vocational education accumulated over the past 180 years to China through the Sino-British Centre for Industry-Driven Vocational Education project jointly launched with AET, establishing a platform for exchanges and cooperation between domestic vocational colleges and international high-level vocational education institutions. Mr. Llewellyn believed that China and the UK have considerable space and potential for cooperation in vocational education, and both sides should fully utilize their respective superior resources to jointly advance the construction and development of training bases that integrate industry and education. NPTC Group of Colleges is committed to building a long-standing and stable cooperative relationship with BPC, and jointly improving the quality and standards of vocational education in both countries through in-depth collaborations.

The guests toured BPC's training facilities, including the Sino-French Application-Oriented Talent Training and Research Center for Energy Efficiency Management, Automobile Training Center, 3D Printing Training Center, Intelligent Robot Training Center, and Smart Construction Site Training Center. They highly appreciated and fully endorsed the college's theory-practice integration teaching mode and high-quality training conditions.

On April 19, 2024, in the presence of the Beijing Municipal Education Commission and the Welsh Government of the United Kingdom, BPC held a signing ceremony for the Sino-British Centre for Industry-Driven Vocational Education together with AET and NPTC Group of Colleges. The Centre aims to collaboratively conduct academic research, standard development, and personnel exchanges, and explore the international interoperability of professional standards and international mutual recognition of certificates for skilled personnel. The establishment of the Centre will powerfully drive the deep integration of Sino-British vocational education, enhance cooperation in the field, and jointly explore new avenues for the integration of industry and education. This will cultivate more highly qualified and skilled specialists to contribute to the socioeconomic development of both nations.

(Visit the training rooms)

(Group photo of participants)