On the morning of August 2nd, local time, a signing ceremony of the Confucius Classroom jointly established by Beijing Polytechinc College and China-Zambia Vocational College of Science and Technology was held in Luanshya, Zambia. The guests attending the ceremony included Brian Mushimba, Minister of Higher Education (Zambia), Japhen Mwakalombe, Minister of Copperbelt Province in Zambia, Nathan Chanda, Mayor of Luanshya, Yu Jie, Inspector of Vocational and Adult Education of the Ministry of Education, Shao Xubo, Director of Division of Asian and African Confucius Institutes of the Confucius Institute Headquarters, Song Kai, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Deputy General Manager of China Nonferrous Metals Mining Corporation, Liang Chiming, Deputy Chief of the “Going Global” Project Team on Vocational Education of China Nonferrous Metals Mining (Group) Co., Ltd., and Zhou Yan, Vice President of Beijing Polytechinc College.
Under the witness of Shao Xubo, Director of Division of Asian and African Confucius Institutes of Confucius Institute Headquarters, and Song Kai, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Deputy General Manager of China Nonferrous Metals Mining Corporation, Zhou Yan and Liang Chiming, Director of the China-Zambia Vocational College of Science and Technology, signed the cooperative agreement on Confucius Classroom.
The Confucius Classroom at China-Zambia Vocational College of Science and Technology is the first classroom sponsored by a vocational college in China. In 2016, Beijing Polytechinc College was identified by the Ministry of Education as one of the first pilot colleges of vocational education’s “going global” project. In 2017, it was listed as the first batch of “Belt and Road” national talent training bases in Beijing. In the past four years, Beijing Polytechinc College and Enterprises of China Nonferrous Metals Mining (Group) Co., Ltd. in Zambia have conducted in-depth cooperation and steadily promoted the “going global” strategy of vocational education. In order to better facilitate the integration of overseas corporate culture and improve the professional qualities of employees in overseas enterprises, Beijing Polytechinc College (Chinese college) and China-Zambia Vocational College of Science and Technology (Zambian college) jointly established an independent Confucius Classroom in Zambia, Africa. The classroom features in vocational education, provides services for local communities and Chinese enterprises with plan to expand overseas businesses, and conducts “Chinese + vocational education” with Chinese language teaching and industrial Chinese teaching as its main tasks.
In the future, the Confucius Classroom at China-Zambia Vocational College of Science and Technology will also carry out various projects, such as Chinese language teaching, Chinese cultural activities and competitions, training of local Chinese teachers, taking local teachers and students to attend China Summer (Winter) Camp, and compiling textbooks of Chinese language and culture. Through the opening of the Confucius Classroom, the Confucius Institute explores the development mode of independent Confucius Classroom with enterprises as its backup, vocational education as its feature and a combination of Chinese and vocational education, aiming to create a brand of Confucius Classroom for vocational education and promote the understanding and friendship of people between the two countries. (cited from Confucius Institute Headquarters, source: China Youth Daily APP, Story by Liang Guosheng)
