Uzbek visitors explore Jiangsu during the second China-Central Asia Summit in 2025. [Photo provided to jsjyt.edu.cn]

The Jiangsu-Uzbekistan Vocational Education Exchange Conference was held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on Sept 16, and a training program in Chinese and vocational skills began the same day.

Addressing the event, Xu Feng, deputy director of Jiangsu Provincial Department of Education, highlighted the longstanding friendly relations between Jiangsu and Uzbekistan, and said that vocational education serves as a vital bridge for fostering talent and enhancing collaboration. He expressed hope that both parties would use this event as an opportunity to further improve the mechanism for cooperation and jointly create a new model for China-Uzbekistan vocational education collaboration.

Abduvali Kholikov, the director of the Center for Higher Education Development Research at the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Innovation of Uzbekistan, commended Jiangsu's accomplishments in vocational education. He expressed a desire to strengthen cooperation in areas such as standard development and teacher training.

Yu Jun, Chinese ambassador to Uzbekistan, acknowledged education as a key component of China-Uzbekistan relations, noting the establishment of vocational education agencies in Uzbekistan, such as Luban Workshop and Zheng He Academy.

The event also featured the signing of cooperation agreements, including one by Nanjing Polytechnic Institute, Tashkent State Transport University, and Yapp Automotive Systems for the joint construction of an automotive industry academy.

Over the past five years, Jiangsu has enrolled over 3,600 Uzbek students and established two Zheng He Academies, marking a new phase in vocational education collaboration between Jiangsu and Uzbekistan.