To implement the important consensus between the leaders of China and South Africa on "leveraging the China-South Africa Vocational Education Cooperation Alliance" and to promote vocational education cooperation and people-to-people exchanges between China and Africa, Yu Changxue, Director of the Center for International Cultural Communication of the Ministry of Education, led a delegation to visit South Africa and Ethiopia from August 24 to 30. Hu Hao, Deputy Party Secretary and President of Yellow River Conservancy Technical University (YRCTU), joined the delegation, attending educational exchange events, visiting the Chinese Mission to the African Union and the Consulate General in Durban, and touring Chinese enterprises and six overseas institutions. These activities further advanced YRCTU's educational cooperation with Africa. Ji Yao, Director of the Office of External Liaison and Cooperation, accompanied the delegation.

During meetings with Buti Manamela, Minister of Higher Education and Training of South Africa and Li Zhigong, Consul General of the People's Republic of China in Durban, President Hu Hao presented YRCTU's innovative approaches to international talent development through partnerships with Chinese enterprises and South African vocational institutions. At the alliance exchange forum, President Hu delivered a keynote speech titled "Digital Empowerment Builds Bridges: Collaborative Development of Vocational Education", highlighting YRCTU's concrete practices in establishing a model for international vocational education cooperation through digital transformation. President Hu emphasized that the university will implement the "Three Shared-Three New" framework to deepen China-South Africa collaboration: New Chapter for Alliance Development: Leveraging vocational education strengths to advance the Durban Initiative; New Momentum for Global Education: Exploring digital innovation through shared smart platforms; New Talent Pipeline: Launching three programs including South African Youth Study-in-China to cultivate "Digital-Smart Craftsmen." These efforts aim to foster more outstanding technical and skilled professionals, thereby advancing China-South Africa educational cooperation and contributing to building a China-Africa community with a shared future.

Hu Hao addresses China-South Africa vocational education alliance meeting

President Hu Hao, on behalf of the university, signed MOUs with Mangosuthu University of Technology and Esayidi TVET College to advance bilateral cooperation in international talent cultivation for engineering programs, curriculum development, joint research initiatives, and faculty-student exchanges. Subsequently, President Hu's delegation visited Yellow River Co., Ltd. (South Africa office), where they held in-depth discussions with Jia Wenguang, Deputy Director of the company's African division, on university-enterprise international collaboration. The parties reached cooperative agreements focusing on technical talent development and corporate staff training programs.

The delegation holds talks and takes group photos with South Africa's Minister of Higher Education and Training Buti Manamela

The delegation holds talks and takes group photos with Chinese Consul General in Durban Li Zhigong

The delegation signs cooperation agreements with South African institutions and visits Chinese enterprises

During their visit to Ethiopia, the delegation held meetings with Jiang Feng, Head of the Chinese Mission to the African Union, and Tsehaye Berecha Yedesa , State Minister of the Ministry of Labor and Skills of Ethiopia. During the discussions, President Hu Hao briefed on the development of the Dayu School and the implementation of the China-Ethiopia 'Chinese Language + Vocational Skills' Program. State Minister Tsehaye Berecha recalled his participation in the program's launch ceremony and spoke highly of the initiative's achievements in talent cultivation.

At the Federal Technical and Vocational Training Institute (FTVTI), the delegation attended the China-Ethiopia Presidents' Dialogue Forum. President Hu Hao delivered a keynote speech titled "Deepening Vocational Education Cooperation to Cultivate Skilled Talents" and signed a Memorandum of Cooperation on behalf of the university with FTVTI. He shared the university's internationalization journey and its cooperation initiatives with African countries. He emphasized that the university would work closely with Ethiopian institutions to implement three key cooperation initiatives: First, the Quality Enhancement and Expansion Program, which aims to increase the enrollment of degree-seeking students while introducing new training programs in surveying and mapping, new energy vehicles, and other fields. Second, the People-to-People Exchange Program, which will include faculty training initiatives and cultural exchange activities such as "Walking Along the Yellow River - Exploring the Nile". Third, the Innovation in Vocational Education Cooperation Program, which will facilitate the sharing of digital and intelligent teaching methodologies and promote joint research in technological breakthroughs and applied studies.

At Addis Ababa University, President Hu Hao introduced our university's development history and achievements, expressing hope that both sides could leverage their strengths to initiate cooperation in faculty and student exchanges, joint research institutions, and talent cultivation programs, thereby contributing to the educational development of both nations.

The delegation visits the Chinese Mission to the African Union

The delegation visits Addis Ababa University

In recent years, our university has prioritized education cooperation with Africa, implementing government-sponsored study programs for South African students, establishing overseas Dayu Schools with Chinese enterprises, and offering "Chinese Language+ Vocational Skills" Program. We've also developed international vocational education standards to enhance our global profile and Belt and Road service capabilities. This visit strengthened our partnerships with African education authorities and universities, boosting both our institution's influence and China's vocational education reputation in Africa, advancing our goal of becoming a world-class technical university with distinctive strengths.