Sino-Zam vocational school equips Zambian students with advanced technical skills

The Sino-Zam Vocational College of Science and Technology, a cooperative educational project between China and Zambia, has been equipping students for a bright future with a range of in-demand technical skills.

The Luanshya Craft Training School was established in the 1950s to meet the manpower needs of Zambia's copper mining industry, but over the years, rapid technological developments forced a reorientation. In 2019, it was rebranded to the Sino-Zam Vocational College of Science and Technology, following recapitalization by the Chinese-owned CNMC Luanshya Copper Mine and partnerships with 10 training colleges in China, which are supporting a diverse curriculum.

"We are looking at the needs, the gaps in the industry. We have actually 14 majors here which are unique," said Jorick Yamvwa, principal of the College.

Courses at the school offer range from technological and mechanical to electrical and commercial subjects, including groundbreaking and increasingly important interdisciplinary fields like mechatronics.

"With the skills I have, the programming and computer-aided design, be able to design projects for companies like bolts and nuts and the like and create a code to help a machine actually create the program itself and be able to work remotely," said Kendra-Lee Mbewe, a mechatronics engineering student at the College.

"Looking at the courses that are offered here, they are more like merged, great courses, like mechanical and electrical being merged. That’s something that would make one to be dependable," said Misheck Mbelenje, a mechanical and electrical maintenance student at the College.

The college is one of the key institutions established under the Chinese Ministry of Education's "Going Global" project for vocational education, helping students overseas to be more than just proficient employees.

"Our approach is, those that are interested in finding employment, they can. Those that would be self-reliant, they can establish their own companies and also employ others. When our students graduate, they become the priority for every industry. We are not only training for Zambia, by the way. Our students have made it even in other countries and other parts of the world," said Yamvwa.

Currently, the college has enrolled just over 600 students, up from less than 100 in 2019. The new campus accommodates higher levels of enrollment and houses modern training equipment and facilities. Only recently completed, it will open its doors in September.

Sino-Zam vocational school equips Zambian students with advanced technical skills

To celebrate the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival, Chimelong Safari Park in Guangzhou City of Guangdong Province, south China introduced to visitors baby panda Mei Zhu, the daughter of Meng Meng, the oldest sister of the world's only surviving panda triplets, and prepared a series of activities on Friday.

Mei Zhu, aged only 87 days, is in good health and just began teething. But the baby panda always gets a bit cranky after milk feedings, and requires panda keepers to spend around half an hour to calm her down.

"As a young panda, her digestive system is still developing, and excessive activity after feeding can lead to digestive issues. She is quite energetic now. If she found any strangers entering her enclosure and they wanted to, for example, pet her, she would be quite defensive, due to her self-protection instincts," said Chen Siming, a wildlife conservation expert.

Another star panda in the zoo, Guo Qing, also received his present, a pile of mooncake-shaped wowotou (a type of steamed corn bread). Guo Qing was of good appetite, which amused many of his fans.

"I am here just to see her. I drove 38 kilometers just to watch her mischief. She is very famous for that, always causing trouble when her keeper is not around," said a visitor.

The koalas are also welcoming guests. Totaling over 70 koalas in the park, more than 40 of them were presented to visitors by their keepers. The chubby animals constitute a big family of eight generations, with the youngest being 2 years old and the oldest reaching 19, much older than the average lifespan of the species.

"We've sent technicians to Australia to learn how to feed the Koalas, pick up veterinary and health care skills. With our valuable experience gained through years of raising the koalas, we are able to provide them good environment, food, and medical care. As a result, the average lifespan of the troop is getting longer," said a koala keeper.

In addition to these highlights, Chimelong Safari Park is also planning a series of animal enrichment events and sharing stories of the animals with the visitors during the Mid-Autumn Festival vacation.

Safari park in Guangzhou presents baby panda to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival