The 1st Sino-North Africa Vocational Education Digital Innovation Skills Competition was Officially Launched

On August 16, 2023, The 1st Sino-North Africa Vocational Education Digita Innovation Skills Competition was officially launched at the 7th Education Plus International Summit & Exhibition for Vocational Education and Training (Changsha). The event was guided by the Education Ministry of Tunisia, the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Tunisia, and the Education Ministry of Morocco. It was jointly organized by The Office of Vocational Training and Employment Promotion of the Kingdom of Morocco (OFPPT), under the auspices of the Sino-North Africa Education Innovation Association.

On the morning of August 16, the opening ceremony of Education Plus International Summit & Exhibition for Vocational Education and Training (Changsha) took place at the Hunan International Convention and Exhibition Center (Mango Hall). The Sino-North Africa Education Innovation Association was invited to the main forum of the conference to announce the details of the competition.

Mr. Mohamed Knidiri, Ex-Minister of Education Ministry of Morocco and President of Private University of Marrakech, took the stage to introduce the competition. The 1st Sino-North Africa Vocational Education Digital Innovation Skills Competition featured three major categories: Additive Manufacturing, Virtual Reality, and Cross-Border E-commerce. The competition followed a format of "Training camp + Competition," including preliminary rounds, training sessions, and finals. The international finals are set to take place in Casablanca, Morocco.

Mr. Knidiri stated, "Chinese language + vocational skills" education is an important avenue for international cooperation in vocational education between China and North African countries. The successful launch of the inaugural competition will play a positive role in advancing digital innovation in vocational education, nurturing more innovative talents in specialized fields, and promoting international education exchange and cooperation.

During the launch ceremony, Ms. Nadia Lakhmiri, Director of International Cooperation of Education Ministry of Morocco, Ms. Hala Bensaghir, Head of Americas & Asia Cooperation Department of OFPPT, Mr. Abdelmoumen Talib, Director of the Casablanca Education Office, Mr. Mohammed Barkaoui, President of the Sino-North Africa Education Innovation Association, President of the Moroccan Association of University Presidents and President of Mundiapolis University,Mr. Hedi Belhaj Salah, President of the Monastir University, Mr. Li Ang, Deputy Dean of the Beijing Education Technology Institute of Enterprise-College-Research, Mr. Abdellatif Mazouz, Vice President of SNAEIA, Mr. Kais Mabrouk, Vice President of SNAEIA, and Mrs. Chen Lu, Secretary-General of SNAEIA, were invited to the stage to jointly launch the 1st Sino-North Africa Vocational Education Digita Innovation Skills Competition.

Mr. Abderrahim Mifdal, Regional Director(Rabat) of International Cooperation of OFPPT, Ms. Houda Ben Mazouz, Professor Bourhane Louhichi from the Higher Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology of Sousse, Ms. Fatima Zahra Alami, Vice President of University of Hassan II Casablanca, Mr. Chokri Chaaraoui, Dean of the Digital Technology Institute of Esprit Education Group in Tunisia, and 22 other leaders from the education departments and universities of Tunisia and Morocco witnessed the ceremony.

The 1st Sino-North Africa Vocational Education Digital Innovation Skills Competition aims to provide a space and platform for young students from China and abroad to showcase their professional skills, technical talents, innovative spirit, and cross-cultural communication abilities. The Sino-North Africa Education Innovation Association is about to organize and initiate the application process for the 1st Sino-North Africa Vocational Education Digital  Innovation Skills Competition, welcoming enthusiastic participation from domestic (including Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan) vocational colleges and undergraduate universities.