The Third China-ASEAN Vocational Education Exhibition and Forum, with “cooperation in personnel training to boost ‘One Belt, One Road’” as the theme, was held in Nanning from September 18 to September 20, 2015. Domestic and international leaders from relevant departments and bureaus in the Ministry of Education from 10 ASEAN countries as well as Britain, France, New Zealand, South Korea, East Timor and the other special guest countries, representatives from Hong Kong and Taiwan and other relevant provinces and cities attended the conference. Additionally, representatives from more than 70 colleges and universities, over 400 vocational education experts, and specially invited corporate representatives were present. In total, 400 people were in attendance. Party Secretary Wangzhan led the delegation to attend relevant activities of the Exhibition and Forum.
This Exhibition and Forum was co-sponsored by the Chinese Ministry of Education and the People's Government of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and is also one of the series of activities in the 12th China-ASEAN Expo. The activities of the Exhibition and Forum are rich in variety, including three categories of exhibitions, forums, and new projects (all together totaling 11). Party secretary Wangzhan of our university led the delegation consisting of teachers and students of the International Exchanges Office, the International Culture Education Institute, and the Vocation-Technical Teachers College. They attended the vocational school students’ technical skills exhibitions, vocational education training teaching equipment exhibitions, the opening ceremony, the schools’ negotiation and promotion conference, the 2015 Commendation Meeting for awarding excellent ASEAN students studying in Guangxi colleges and universities, and other activities in Nanning.
On the morning of September 18, the opening ceremony of the 2015 China-ASEAN Vocational Education Exhibition and Forum was kicked off in the Guangxi Museum of Art. Lu Xin (Vice Minister of Education), Li Kang (Vice Governor of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region), and Im Koch (representative of ASEAN countries and Secretary of State of the Ministry of Education Youth Sports of Cambodian) attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches. Secretary Wangzhan signed a cooperation agreement with the Higher Institute of East Timor Crist on behalf of Guangxi Normal University during the opening ceremony. Both sides decided to build a Chinese language and cultural center. During the Technical Education Exhibition and Forum, our school also signed a cooperation agreement to cultivate Chinese talents with the Zhuangpeng University in Thailand and friendship and cooperation agreements with Indonesia’s Sadia Christian University and Malang Muhammadia University.
To increase publicity we introduced our schools’ characteristics and mode of operation to Chinese and foreign guests during the China-ASEAN schools’ negotiation and promotion conference which was held before the opening ceremony. Lu Xin (Vice Minister of Education), Li Kang (Vice-Governor of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region), and other leaders entered into the conference room and asked for the details of the negotiations. After the opening ceremony, Vice Minister Lu Xin visited the booth of our school’s publishing house, which exhibited over 200 kinds of books (including China-ASEAN books, Chinese textbooks, books describing current vocational education approaches, and social science textbooks). Exhibitions designed by students in our Vocational and Technical Teachers College titled "Happy Reunion”, “Fuwa”, “Tie-dyed Clothing”, “Xiuqing”, and “Rhyme of Buckets" were exhibited in the vocational colleges’ students’ technical skills exhibition. They were well received by Cai Changzhuo (the deputy Director-General of the Education Department), and a journalist from CCTV had an on-the-spot interview and report.
The 2015 Commendation Meeting for awarding excellent ASEAN students in Guangxi colleges and universities was held that night in the joint performance center of the Guangxi academy of the Arts Festival Centre. Yang Weijia (the Deputy Director-General of the regional Education Department) announced the "Decision on the Recognition of Excellent Overseas Students in Colleges and Universities" and decided to honor 28 foreign students with the “2015 Excellent Overseas Students in Guangxi” award. Five students from from Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam in our school received the honor. Li Kang (the Vice Governor of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region), Wu Jianxin (the Deputy Secretary General in the People’s Government of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region), and Cai Changzhuo (the Deputy Director-General of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region) awarded them and encouraged them to cherish the honor and study hard, thus contributing to the promotion of friendship and exchanges between Chinese and ASEAN countries.
Overseas students in our school and other universities’ students attended the party and performed exotic songs and dances. The “Elegant Zhuang Autonomous Region” performed by students in our school from ten different countries, namely Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, the United States, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and Nigeria, drew prolonged applause from the audience, pushing the party to a new high. In addition, our school students also participated in the opening performance "Long Live Friendship" and the final performance "Hand in Hand".
During the event, Party Secretary Wangzhan met with the Deputy Minister of Education and other 5 officials from East Timor. The two sides reached an agreement to establish a department for Chinese education in East Timor’s universities, and our school will send Chinese teachers in February 2017.
Our school has historically attached great importance to the relationship and cooperation with ASEAN countries, and has established long-term friendship and cooperation with more than 100 universities and educational institutions in ASEAN countries. In the past ten years, we have received more than 10,000 students from ASEAN countries. In the China-ASEAN Vocational Education Exhibition and Forum, we invited a dozen government officials (including Deputy Minister of Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Deputy Director Ministry of Education in East Timor, and 40 guests from 11 overseas universities) to participate in activities which will serve to open a new charter for exchanges and cooperation with the East Timor Ministry of Education. The two sides will make joint efforts to construct a department of Chinese and a Chinese cultural center to disseminate Chinese culture and strengthen cultural and educational cooperation and exchanges between ASEAN countries and countries involved in the “One Belt, One Road” project.
Vice Minister Lu Xin visited our school’s publishing house booth.
We signed a cooperation agreement with the Higher Institute of East Timor Crist.
We signed a cooperation agreement with Indonesia’s Sadia Christian University and Malang Muhammadia University.
We signed a cooperation agreement with Indonesia’s Malang Muhammadia University.
Wangzhan (the Party Secretary of our school) had talks with Mr. Abel da Costa Freitas Ximenes (Deputy Director of Education Department in East Timor).
We signed a cooperation agreement with Thailand’s Zhuangpeng University.
Li Kang (the Vice Governor of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region) awarded the excellent overseas students.
Cai Changzhuo (the Deputy Director-General of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region) awarded the excellent overseas students.