The 2024 World Vocational and Technical Education Development Conference opened on Thursday in north China's Tianjin Municipality.
Chinese Minister of Education Huai Jinpeng addressed the conference, saying vocational education should align with the trends of the times and the essence of education, maintain its distinctive characteristics, and be inclusive, industry-oriented, innovative, intelligent and international.
Themed "Innovation Empowers the Future, Skills Enlighten New Life", the two-day event is attended by guests from over 100 countries and regions, including government officials, diplomatic envoys, and personnel from international organizations and educational institutes.
"Delegation from Tajikistan is taking part in the World Vocational and Technical Educational Development Conference. And the main purpose of our delegation, the main purpose of Tajik universities, especially International University of Tourism and Entrepreneurship of Tajikistan, is collaboration with Chinese universities in the part of student exchange programs, professional development of professors and teaching staff. And also collaboration in the field of realizing the projects, investment projects within universities," said Asrorzoda Ubaydullo, rector of International University of Tourism and Entrepreneurship of Tajikistan.
The confernce witnessed the establishment of the World Technical and Vocational Education and Training League, a vocational education cooperation organization aiming to provide the most comprehensive, balanced, representative and inclusive international platform for vocational education.
It also features the finals of the World Vocational College Skills Competition and parallel meetings on topics including the coordination between enterprises and colleges in vocational training, the role of vocational education in global sustainable development, and the occupation development of vocational education teachers.
The competition has been upgraded to an international level, drawing over 29,000 participants from 74 countries to compete in 42 categories of occupations and technologies, such as AI health management and new energy vehicles.
"It's very vibrant. It's a very vital issue for the modern economy. New technologies, health care, a lot of them are non-university qualifications, but really critical. So for a lot of school leaders, there's a lot of opportunities. And we have found that the joint programs with Australian providers have been very popular. But also, more broadly, it's really to help enlighten, like the [conference] theme, empowering knowledge," said Martin Riordan, managing director of University of Melbourne.
China has established the world's largest vocational education system, with over 11,000 institutions producing over 70 percent of new workers in key industries, including advanced manufacturing and modern services, according to data from the Ministry of Education.
This source of expertise is also going beyond China's borders, as the country's vocational education partnerships are expanding with ASEAN, Africa, Central Asia, and Europe.
World vocational, technical education development conference opens in Tianjin
