BPC Invited to the Opening Ceremony of 2024 World Chinese Language Conference and Co-organize the Symposium on "Chinese+TVET" Education

On the afternoon of November 15, the 2024 World Chinese Language Conference, hosted by the Ministry of Education of China and co-organized by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation, Chinese International Education Foundation, and The International Society for Chinese Language Teaching, kicked off at China National Convention Center in Beijing. President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the World Chinese Language Conference and congratulated the Confucius Institute on its 20th anniversary. Vice President Han Zheng attended the Opening Ceremony, where he read President Xi's letter and delivered a speech. Themed "Interconnection, Integration, Inheritance, Innovation", the conference gathered together over 2,000 guests from more than 160 countries and regions, including government officials, school principals, experts, scholars, representatives of teachers and students, and diplomatic envoys. Tian Hongfang, Secretary of the CPC Committee of Beijing Polytechnic College (BPC), and Liu Chang'an, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Committee and President of the college, were invited to the Opening Ceremony as official representatives.

President Xi Jinping sends a congratulatory letter to the World Chinese Language Congress, and Vice President Han Zheng attends the event and delivers a speech

Tian Hongfang and Liu Chang'an are invited to the Opening Ceremony of the World Chinese Language Conference

Xie Ligao, the first Chinese Dean of the China-Thailand Institute of Chinese Language and Technical and Vocational Education and Training and also Deputy Director of the International Exchanges and Cooperation Office at BPC, and Ma Jun, Dean of the BPC Branch of Sino-Zam Vocational College of Science and Technology and Head of the Confucius Classroom, were also invited by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation of the Ministry of Education. They led a delegation of presidents from Thailand vocational colleges under the "Chinese Bridge" initiative to China, as well as representatives of foreign teachers of Sino-Zam Vocational College of Science and Technology to attend the Opening Ceremony.

Group photo of Tian Hongfang, Liu Chang'an, Xie Ligao, Ma Jun, and Zambian teachers from the BPC Branch of Sino-Zam Vocational College of Science and Technology

On the morning of November 16, the 2024 World Chinese Language Conference Symposium on "Chinese+TVET" Education was held in Conference Room 310 of China National Convention Center. The event was hosted by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation of the Ministry of Education and co-organized by ChinesePlus, Wuzhou Hanfeng Education Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Nanjing Vocational University of Industry Technology, and BPC. The theme of this symposium was "New Era and New Opportunities: Promote High-quality Development of 'Chinese+TVET' Education".

The main leaders and guests at the event included Hu Zhiping, Deputy Director of the Center for Language Education and Cooperation of the Ministry of Education, Put Samith, State Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sport of Cambodia, and Somdet Thongchai, Chairman of the Board of the Maritime Silk Road Confucius Institute in Thailand. Heads of education authorities from countries along the Belt and Road, diplomatic envoys from relevant countries to China, representatives of enterprises and industry associations, and representatives of vocational and technical colleges both domestically and internationally, along with experts and scholars, totaling over 300 individuals, were also in attendance.

Hu Zhiping delivers a speech on behalf of the Center for Language Education and Cooperation of the Ministry of Education

Hu Zhiping extended a warm welcome to the guests on behalf of the Center for Language Education and Cooperation of the Ministry of Education. He stated that this year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of Confucius Institutes and the launch of the Volunteer Program for International Chinese Teachers. Over this period, China has collaborated with more than 190 countries and regions. In recent years, the Center for Language Education and Cooperation has taken innovative steps to promote the integrated development of international Chinese education and vocational education, supported Confucius Institutes and foreign educational institutions in setting up "Chinese +" featured courses, and advanced the establishment of a vocational Chinese standard system. The Center has cultivated and trained "Chinese+TVET" double-qualified teachers and developed teaching resources for "Chinese+TVET". Domestically, it has built "Chinese+TVET" project bases, while internationally, it has set up "Chinese+TVET" regional development centers and the China-Thailand Institute of Chinese Language and Technical and Vocational Education and Training. Additionally, it has collaborated with vocational colleges and overseas Chinese-funded enterprises in establishing the Centers for Chinese Language and Professional Skills. In under three years, 28 Centers for Chinese Language and Professional Skills have been established across 21 countries, effectively achieving the integrated development and mutual promotion of education and industry, as well as industry-education integration. Notably, some of these institutions, such as those founded at Potasio y Litio de Argentina S.A. and the Tajik-Chinese Mining Company in Tajikistan, have actively served local communities and assisted enterprises in creating a better social living environment. These efforts have been well received by both enterprises and local communities. Mr. Hu put forward three hopes for the high-quality development of "Chinese+TVET" education. First, we should leverage the foundational, pioneering, and platform roles of language education to help enterprises and vocational education "go global". Second, we should enhance school-enterprise collaboration to cultivate talent that meets enterprises' needs. Third, we should make solid progress to ensure the high-quality development of the Centers for Chinese Language and Professional Skills, and promote "Chinese+TVET" education to better contribute to the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Speech by Put Samith, State Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sport of Cambodia

Speech by Somdet Thongchai, Chairman of the Board of the Maritime Silk Road Confucius Institute in Thailand

This Symposium focuses on three main topics: promoting in-depth exchanges and cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative through "Chinese+TVET" education, building a new platform for "Chinese+TVET" education, and establishing a high-quality support system for "Chinese+TVET" education. The aim is to continuously explore sustainable development paths for "Chinese+TVET" through collaboration among governments, industries, enterprises, and schools, and carry out extensive and in-depth exchanges with friends from all walks of life worldwide, and explore to address various practical challenges faced in the development of "Chinese+TVET" education, thereby contributing wisdom and strength to its future development.

Liu Chang'an served as the guest speaker and moderator of topic I. Pan Xuhai, Vice President of Nanjing Vocational University of Industry Technology, and Xie Chengjie, Director of China Nonferrous Metals Industry Talent Center, hosted topic II and topic III respectively. Liu Chang'an noted that the sharing and exchange of guests further reinforced BPC's commitment to integrating international Chinese education with vocational education. Together with friends from all walks of life, BPC will continue to embrace the essence of "Chinese+TVET" education. We will prioritize quality improvement, pursue industry-education integration, and implement pilot projects as our guide. Our focus will be on promoting "Chinese+TVET" education in a more pragmatic and efficient manner, aiming to better serve the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative. In doing so, we will open a new chapter for the integrated development of "Chinese+TVET" education.

Scene of the Symposium on "Chinese+TVET" Education

Liu Chang'an serves as the opening guest speaker and moderate of topic I

The year 2024 ushered in the second golden decade of the joint development of the Belt and Road Initiative. China's vocational education is actively aligning with the Initiative, making significant strides onto the global stage. Realizing the deep integration of "Chinese+TVET" represents a realistic need for advancing vocational education on an international scale and plays a crucial role in fostering stronger people-to-people connections among countries. As the Educational Practice and Research Center for "Chinese + TVET" of the Center for Language Education and Cooperation of the Ministry of Education, BPC will continue to pioneer sustainable development paths for "Chinese+TVET", and strive to advance the development of "Chinese+TVET" education. In this pursuit, the college aims to inject fresh talent momentum into the economic and social development of countries along the Belt and Road, contributing to the inspiring vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind.