On the afternoon of September 13, 2024, Josephine Ann Singaram, Senior Executive of the South African Local Government Training Institute, led a delegation to visit and conduct an inspection tour of our school. The delegation included Kelebogile Benedict Masopha, Project Manager of the South African Local Government Training Institute, and Maxine Melinda Werth, Director of the Office of the Chinese Culture and International Education Exchange Center. The delegation was warmly received by President He Ying, who hosted a discussion. Vice President and Dean of the School of Economics and Management, Yan Yukang, Director of the Office of International Exchanges, Meng Zhaoshang, and other senior staff members attended the meeting and discussion.
President He Ying briefly introduced the history, major achievements, and departmental structure of Shanghai Donghai College. She highlighted the school’s emphasis on quality education, the implementation of apprenticeship pilot programs, the establishment of modern industry colleges, and its focus on internationalization. The school’s repeated success in national teaching achievement awards and the World Skills Competition were also mentioned as key advantages and features. President He expressed hope that this exchange would serve as an opportunity to advance educational and cultural cooperation between China and South Africa, contributing to the development of cross-border e-commerce professionals and business management talent in South Africa.
Executive Singaram briefly introduced the South African Local Government Training Institute, which is responsible for providing training and services to 256 municipal-level local governments in South Africa. The Executive expressed the Institute’s eagerness to deepen cooperation with the school to promote educational exchanges between China and South Africa. The main focus of the visit was to explore training programs aimed at improving the employment skills of unemployed South African university graduates, enhancing the management abilities of small and medium-sized enterprise owners, and raising the management level of mid-level government officials.
Vice President Yan Yukang introduced the key features and strengths of the School of Economics and Management, including national-level high-quality key programs, high-level programs in Shanghai, and the close cooperation with enterprises through industry-education integration, which cultivates students’ comprehensive management skills. He expressed willingness to focus on the cross-border e-commerce program and collaborate diligently in the cultivation of talent for Sino-South African cooperation.
During the visit, the delegation toured the school’s canteen, student dormitories, the practical training center of the School of Economics and Management, the e-commerce classroom, the A320 dynamic simulation cabin, cabin door training room, airport arrival/departure training room, and static simulation room at the School of Aviation, as well as the CNC, mechanical, and industrial robotics training rooms at the School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering. They also visited the simulation rooms for elderly care, infant bathing, nurse stations, and patient wards at the School of Nursing, as well as the teaching and training facilities at the School of Arts and the School of Communication. The delegation highly praised the modern teaching facilities and the school’s model of industry-education integration.
