The “2025 China-Africa Education Cooperation and Innovation Development Forum”, co-hosted by the China-Africa Innovation Cooperation Center and the Sino-North Africa Education Innovation Association, concluded successfully in Wuhan on November 20-21. With the theme “Joining Hands to Advance Modernization Through Innovation Cooperation”, the forum focused on two core topics: vocational education cooperation innovation and higher education talent training. It gathered nearly 500 participants, including dignitaries, ambassadors, experts and scholars from 11 African countries, as well as representatives from domestic and foreign universities, enterprises and public institutions. Distinguished Chinese and foreign guests attended the event, such as Dr. Rita Bissoonauth, Director of UNESCO Liaison Office to the African Union; Belaid Mondher, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Tunisia; Mustapha Ijjaali, Special Representative of Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation of Morocco; Xia Song, Deputy Director of Department of Science and Technology of Hubei Province; and Chen Lu, Secretary General of Sino-North Africa Education Innovation Association. Zuo Tiantian, Dean of the School of Media, and Liu Yichen, Foreign Affairs Secretary of International Exchange Office of Shanghai Donghai College (SDC), participated in the grand event, experiencing the pulse of international vocational education and exploring the future of Sino-foreign vocational education cooperation with guests from all walks of life around the world. During the forum, SDC won multiple heavyweight honors in recognition of its outstanding contributions to China-Africa education cooperation.
He Ying, President of the college, was awarded a certificate of honor jointly presented by Bassole Hyppolyte Lougne, Director of the Office of Ministry of Secondary Education, Vocational Educational and Technical Training (MESEPT) of Burkina Faso, and signed by Minister Boubakar Savadogo. This honor recognizes her contributions to promoting cooperation and partnership development in vocational education between Chinese vocational colleges and Burkina Faso.
Zuo Tiantian, Dean of the School of Media, and Liu Shuye, Director of the Accounting Department of the School of Economics and Management, received the “Expert of the North African International Competition of the Belt and Road and BRICS Skills Development and Technological Innovation Competition” certificates issued by the Organizing Committee of the BRICS Skills Development and Technological Innovation Competition and the Belt and Road and BRICS Skills Development International Alliance. This marks the authoritative recognition of the two teachers’ professional capabilities by the international competition organizing committee.
Zhang Jian, General Manager of International Education Exchange Journal under the China Education Association for International Exchange, presented Liu Yichen from the International Exchange Office with a certificate of inclusion for the “Excellent Case of China-Africa Education Cooperation”. Her paper “Three Integrations and Three Promotions: A New Path for the Practice of Sino-African Vocational Education Cooperation” was successfully selected into the special issue of excellent education cooperation cases for the China-Africa People-to-People Exchange Year of the International Education Exchange Journal, demonstrating the college's profound accumulation in the field of Sino-African education cooperation research.
SDC was awarded the “Outstanding Partner Award of Morocco’s Office for Vocational Education and Employment Development” by Professor Mohammed Barkaoui, President of Sino-North Africa Education Innovation Association, Morocco, in recognition of SDC’s outstanding contributions to promoting China-Morocco vocational education cooperation and building a bridge for talent training.
In addition, SDC also received the Egyptian Vocational Education Standard and Accreditation Project Certificate issued by Technical Education Consultant of Egypt’s Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.
During the forum, important events such as the “Inaugural Ceremony of the Executive Committee of the 2025 Belt and Road and BRICS Skills Development and Technological Innovation Competition - North African International Competition” were held, and the Forum Consensus was released. The consensus clarified that the China-North Africa International Education Innovation Alliance will continue to deepen China-Africa education cooperation with projects as the carrier, quality as the goal, and services as the core.
This forum trip not only brought SDC multiple honors but also built a broader cooperation platform with domestic and foreign universities and institutions. Behind the numerous honors is SDC’s long-term dedication to Sino-African education cooperation. As Secretary General Chen Lu said in her speech, the three key future work directions of the China-North Africa Alliance have outlined a clear blueprint for Sino-African vocational education cooperation, among which deepening university cooperation and promoting overseas school-running are highly consistent with SDC’s international exchange strategy. Taking this forum as an opportunity, the college will thoroughly implement the national strategy of educational opening-up, keep up with the trends of digitalization and internationalization, continuously deepen the breadth and depth of Sino-African education cooperation, and contribute SDC’s strength to building a Sino-African education cooperation community and creating a new highland for educational opening-up.
Correspondent: Liu Yichen
