The China-South Africa Vocational Education Cooperation and Technical Talents Cultivation Conference gets underway in Changzhou, Jiangsu province on Jan 30. [Photo/jyt.jiangsu.gov.cn]

The China-South Africa Vocational Education Cooperation and Technical Talents Cultivation Conference got underway in Changzhou, Jiangsu province on Jan 30. 

More than 200 government officials, experts and educators from the two countries attended the event. 

The conference was aimed at developing the depth and breadth of Sino-South African connections in vocational education. 

It was also answering the two countries’ urgent needs; especially those listed in the Made in China 2025 strategy and the African Union’s Agenda 2063 blueprint, including cultivation of more skilled personnel and promotion of mutual educational reform. 

Wang Chengbin, deputy director-general of the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Education, introduced the attendees to the fruitful results Jiangsu has achieved in international education. 

As a province with the third highest number of international students in China, Jiangsu has on the one hand attracted students by its high-quality education and diversified scholarship support while on the other has eagerly encouraged Chinese and South African enterprises to engage in various orientation trainings. 

A South African branch school co-run by Changzhou College of Information Technology, Bozhon, a smart manufacturer, and Hengtong, a global cable industry leader, was unveiled at the event. It will focus on cultivating native skilled talents and helping Chinese enterprises acclimatize in South Africa.