From September 21 to October 20, 2025, faculty member Lian Meng from the School of Mechanical Engineering was invited by the Ministry of Technical Education, Vocational Training, and Apprenticeship of Côte d'Ivoire and AVIC-INTL PROJECT ENGINEERING COMPANY to participate in developing integrated teaching standards for the Construction Machinery program. This initiative aligns with the spirit of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and implements the "Future Africa-China-Africa Vocational Education Cooperation Program."

During the visit, Mr. Lian Meng conducted in-depth research through field visits and interviews, engaging with the full spectrum of the local construction machinery industry chain, including equipment leasing companies, sales and after-sales service centers, spare parts retail stores, and maintenance stations. This allowed him to gain insights into the industry's talent demands and practical application characteristics, systematically collecting core competency requirements for technical and skilled personnel as well as optimization suggestions for talent cultivation, thereby accumulating first-hand materials for subsequent teaching reforms.

Building on the core outcomes of this visit, YRCTU will collaborate with AVIC International and relevant institutions in Côte d'Ivoire to continuously refine the integrated teaching standards for the Construction Machinery program. The focus will be on developing a curriculum module that combines "basic skills training with localized services," promoting the international adaptation and localized implementation of teaching materials, faculty capabilities, and training resources. This initiative aims to effectively cultivate technical talent that meets the specific needs of the local industry.

In February 2025, YRCTU was appointed as the lead drafting institution for the integrated teaching standards of the Construction Machinery program under the "Future Africa Initiative." This visit not only represents a key step in advancing the internationalization of vocational education and exploring cross-regional "industry-academia-research-application" collaboration in the field of engineering machinery, but also provides robust localized data and practical evidence for incorporating these teaching standards into national-level international education cooperation programs. Furthermore, it lays a solid foundation for deepening China-Africa vocational education exchanges and serving the industrial upgrading needs of African countries.

Conducting research at Caterpillar dealer Neemba

Exchanging with faculty from Côte d'Ivoire's vocational training school

Exchanging with faculty at the vocational training school's practice base in Côte d'Ivoire

Conducting research at the engineering machinery subcontracting enterprise CERCIS-CI