The College's Cooperation Project with Africa Selected as a National-level Achievement Features at the China-Africa Vocational Education Cooperation Dialogue

From November 6 to 7, 2025, the China-Africa Vocational Education Cooperation Dialogue & the Annual Conference of the China-Africa TVET Cooperation Consortium were grandly held in Jinhua, Zhejiang. The Dialogue, themed Deepening Industry-Education Integration and Building a China-Africa Vocational Education Community, brought together over 200 representatives from government, schools, industries, and enterprises from 15 countries, serving as a core platform for implementing the vocational education cooperation arrangements of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation - Beijing Action Plan (2025-2027). At the event, the cooperative project jointly declared by the College, Mount Kenya University, and Nanjing ZTE Xinyada Information Technology Co., Ltd. was successfully selected into the third batch of Future Africa - China-Africa Vocational Education Cooperation Featured Projects. Du Qingbo, Member of the Party Committee and Vice President of the College, was invited to attend and witness the release of the achievement.

The selected project is a benchmark practice by Nanjing Vocational College of Information Technology in response to the Future Africa - China-Africa Vocational Education Cooperation Program. The program was proposed by President Xi Jinping at the Eighth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, focusing on three core objectives: talent cultivation, standard development, and capacity enhancement. Leveraging its educational strengths in the field of information technology, the College collaborated with Mount Kenya University's local educational resources and ZTE Xinyada's industry practice experience to build a cooperation model of joint construction by colleges and empowerment by enterprises, providing an innovative solution for cultivating localized talent for Africa's communications industry.

The project's selection signifies that the College's model and achievements in China-Africa vocational education cooperation have received authoritative recognition from a national-level platform, said Du Qingbo. He noted that this cross-sector cooperation between the College, an African university and a Chinese enterprise not only draws on the successful experience of China's vocational education but also deeply aligns with the talent needs of Kenya and the East African communications industry, forming a replicable and promotable model of international education. It is reported that the project will focus on jointly developing professional standards, creating bilingual teaching materials, and constructing practical training resources. It is projected to cultivate over 100 interdisciplinary technical talents annually who possess both professional skills and cross-cultural literacy, directly supporting the implementation of projects in Africa by Chinese and African telecommunications enterprises.

Against the backdrop of accelerating the construction of the China-Africa Vocational Education Community, the project practice of Nanjing Vocational College of Information Technology has distinct demonstration value. Currently, Africa's digital economy sector has huge development potential, with the communications industry alone facing a shortage of hundreds of thousands of technical talents, while Chinese enterprises in Africa urgently need localized + specialized talent support. The collaboration model of Nanjing Vocational College of Information Technology follows the framework of enterprises defining requirements, the institution formulating solutions, and joint implementation across both locations, effectively addressing the cross-border vocational education challenge of disconnection between talent cultivation and industry needs.

Its presence at the China-Africa Vocational Education Cooperation Dialogue marks a new starting point for the College to deepen international cooperation. According to reports, the College will leverage this project selection as an opportunity to further participate in the joint development of China-Africa vocational education standards. Initiatives will include collaborating on internationalized curricula and supporting practical training resources, establishing an Overseas College of Engineering and Technology in Africa through partnerships with Chinese enterprises operating there, and exploring a 1+2 cross-border training model. This approach will enable African youth to acquire technical skills aligned with international standards within their home countries. Looking ahead, the College will continue to focus on the development needs of Africa's digital industry, making the project a model project for China-Africa vocational education industry-education integration, contributing the strength of Nanjing Vocational College of Information Technology to the implementation of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation - Beijing Action Plan (2025-2027).

Photo/Text: Dai Yangzhi, International Exchange and Cooperation Office

Reviewed by: Cao Xue, International Exchange and Cooperation Office