North African delegation of Ministry of Education & University Presidents visit Hunan Vocational College of Railway Technology

On August 19, 2023, the Sino-North Africa Education Innovation Association, together with delegations from the education ministries and universities of Tunisia and Morocco, visited Hunan Vocational College of Railway Technology for an exchange visit.

During the visit, representatives engaged in discussions on international practices in vocational education, exploring avenues for internationalizing vocational education. The meeting, chaired by Vice President of Hunan Vocational College of Railway Technology, Mr. Yuan Zhigang, was attended by the Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and President, Mr. Chen Bin, and Vice President, Mr. Chen Zhonglin.

President Chen Bin extended a warm welcome to the delegation and expressed gratitude for the support of the Sino-North Africa Education Innovation Association in successfully applying for the "Chinese Bridge" project. He hoped that the visit would help establish friendly cooperative relations between the College, the Association, and the delegation, fostering active collaboration in teaching, research, academic exchange, and student exchange.

Secretary-General Chen Lu of the SNAEIA stated that the Association aims to promote the connotative development of international construction in Chinese and North African universities, enhance the level of internationalization in Chinese and North African university education, seize new opportunities for international cooperation and exchanges in education in the new era, build a regional international education cooperation platform, and contribute to the construction of a community of shared destiny between China and North Africa. The Association currently has nearly 50 members, including government bodies, universities, and Chinese enterprises.

Later, speeches were delivered by Mr. Mohamed Knidiri, Ex-Minister of Education Ministry of Morocco and President of Private University of Marrakech, and Professor Mohammed Barkaoui, President of the SNAEIA and President of Mundiapolis University ,and Mr. Chen Zhonglin, Vice President of Hunan Vocational College of Railway Technology.

During the meeting, Hunan Vocational College of Railway Technology signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Université Centrale. In the future, both parties will collaborate to contribute to the development of vocational education.

Subsequently, representatives from the Ministries of Education of Tunisia and Morocco, along with delegations of university presidents, delivered speeches. They engaged in in-depth discussions on inter-school cooperation, faculty and student exchanges, and areas of potential collaboration in talent development. Strong intentions were expressed to initiate teaching and research cooperation with the university.

After the meeting, the association and the delegation, guided by the school staff, conducted on-site visits to the practical training facilities of Hunan Vocational College of Railway Technology, including the Urban Rail Transit Mechatronics Technology Training Base, the International Shared Comprehensive Training Base for Rail Transit, Virtual Simulation Training Base, CTC Dispatch Centralized Training Room, Comprehensive Training Room for Simulated Driving of Electric Locomotives , the world's first CRRC Intelligent Rail Prototype Exhibition, and the "Silk Road Harmony" International Multilingual Teaching Room.

CTC Dispatch Centralized Training Room

Comprehensive Training Room for Simulated Driving of Electric Locomotives

Silk Road Harmony Classroom

This exchange visit has deepened the friendship and mutual trust between Hunan Vocational College of Railway Technology, the SNAEIA, and the education departments and universities in North African countries. It has laid a solid foundation for future collaborations, marking a successful conclusion to the official visit of the alliance and its delegation.

We express gratitude to all Chinese universities for their warm reception and meticulous arrangements during this exchange visit. In the future, the association will continue to leverage its professional expertise and proactive approach to promote international educational cooperation between Chinese universities and the education departments and universities in North African countries. We will continuously expand sustainable development projects in the education sector, contributing to the enhancement of international influence in the field of education and facilitating China's educational outreach efforts.