China Africa Capacity Building Cooperation to a New Level (New Era China Africa Cooperation) Workshop | China | Capacity Building

In the Horn of East Africa, the first batch of 24 students completed 3 years of learning and practice at the Luban Workshop in Djibouti, and then took up job positions on the Addis Ababa Djibouti Railway;

On the shores of the Red Sea, young people who have emerged from the Egyptian vocational schools jointly constructed by China and Egypt are highly welcomed by relevant enterprises;

In the highland water towns, drawing on China's poverty reduction experience, more and more Ugandan people are beginning to invest in the bamboo industry;

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The Capacity Building Project is one of the nine projects jointly implemented by China and African countries. In recent years, China Africa cooperation has continuously developed towards all-round, multi-level, and high-quality development. Both sides have achieved fruitful cooperation in areas such as capacity building, providing a large number of talents for African countries and demonstrating the high-level development of a community with a shared future between China and Africa in the new era.

"Help students master new knowledge and skills"

Not long ago, 22-year-old Djibouti youth Aicha graduated from the Luban Workshop and became an employee of the Railway Transportation Operations Department at the Nagad Station of the Addis Ababa Djibouti Railway. Aicha's daily work is busy and fulfilling. "The Luban Workshop has helped me realize my railway dream, and nothing is more joyful than the realization of my dream. The Luban Workshop is an ideal platform built by China for the growth of young people in Djibouti."

Four years ago, the first Luban workshop in Africa was put into operation in Djibouti, and Aicha, who had recently graduated from the Electrical Engineering program at Djibouti Business School, became the first student. Public basic courses, vocational theory courses, professional core courses, practical training skills courses... Aicha and his classmates studied diligently during their time in school. He said, "We cherish this hard won learning opportunity very much and know very well that our future will be closely connected to the Addis Ababa Djibouti Railway."

Aicha recalled the scene he saw when he first walked into the Luban workshop - a three-dimensional sand table vividly depicting the operation of locomotives on the tracks of the Addis Ababa Djibouti Railway. "I vividly remember when the teacher demonstrated to the students' train guidance language '-' Now the train is about to enter Nagad Station, please prepare the duty officer to pick up the train '... That is the station where I work now!"

Nowadays, more and more African youth are working hard to achieve their dreams through the Luban workshop.

On the campus of the School of Engineering at Ain Shams University in Egypt, a gray yellow building is nestled among the verdant greenery, with prominent large characters written in Chinese and Arabic: Egyptian Luban Workshop. In the CNC equipment application and maintenance technology training room, junior student Taibu shared his learning experience with reporters: "Engineering students need strong hands-on ability. Previously, I systematically studied theory, but due to limitations, the hands-on process was relatively weak. Now, China has helped us build the Luban Workshop, and students have a platform and opportunity to practice in practical application scenarios."

As a beneficial attempt for China's vocational education to "go global", since the first Luban workshop in Africa landed in Djibouti in March 2019, China has established more than 10 Luban workshops in 11 African countries such as Egypt and Kenya, providing technical and vocational training opportunities for African youth, and effectively promoting local economic and social development.

Teshal, president of Ethiopian University of Technology, said that the establishment of Luban Workshop has provided technical services and talent support for Ethiopia and China to jointly build the "the Belt and Road", "helping students master new knowledge and skills, and becoming an institution that provides training and research for people in relevant industries in Ethiopia."

The Egyptian newspaper "Oriental News" commented, "China has extended a helping hand and creatively built the important platform of the Luban Workshop, which Egypt and many other countries will benefit from."

"An inevitable choice to improve local employment and industrial competitiveness"

In the spacious and bright welding training room, 31 year old Egyptian student Fawuqi was wearing protective clothing, gloves, a protective mask, and specially designed glasses, burying his head in practicing the welding technique just taught by the Chinese teacher.

Fawuqi is a car welder who has just started working and is not yet proficient in his skills. He signed up to participate in a welding course organized by the Vocational and Technical Training Center of the Suez Canal Economic Zone in Egypt. "I have learned many practical skills through training, and I hope to better adapt to work requirements after the training is over," said Fa Wuqi.

The training center covers an area of over 40000 square meters and has multiple teaching buildings and practical training centers. The training programs include mechanical, electronic, automation control and other specialties, aiming to provide skills training and vocational education for employees in the Suez Canal Economic Zone.

For several years, thousands of Egyptian youth have received skills training here. Former Chairman of the Suez Canal Economic Zone Authority in Egypt, Yeshia Zaki, stated that the establishment of the training center is conducive to deepening industrial and educational cooperation between Egypt and China. The trained technical talents have improved the productivity of local and other enterprises in Egypt, benefiting Egypt and even the entire Arab region.

China has cooperated with multiple African countries in vocational colleges. The China Zambia Vocational and Technical College, based on the Zambia China Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone, has held over 50 sessions of employee skill training, with over 1000 trainees; The Musanze International College, established in cooperation between China Jinhua Vocational and Technical College and Rwanda Musanze Vocational and Technical School, has trained over 5000 students since 2017; In the past five years since the implementation of the technical assistance project of the Chinese aid to Burkina Faso vocational training center, the employment salary income of students in related majors has been higher than the local average level

Paul Frimpon, Executive Director of the African China Policy Advisory Center, a think tank in Ghana, stated that Africa has a huge demographic dividend and is currently in the process of industrialization. China's technical assistance to non professionals has become an important component of deepening cooperation between Africa and China. "This is not only a practical need for countries' investment in Africa, but also an inevitable choice for African countries to improve local employment and industrial competitiveness, making a positive contribution to the cultivation of African talents' abilities."

"China's development experience has strong reference significance for Africa."

Not far from the capital of Uganda, Kampala, there is a lush bamboo garden. The light wind brushes by, and the bamboo leaves rustle. Flavia Nabujir, the owner of the bamboo plantation and chairman of the Uganda Bamboo Association, is carefully examining the growth of the bamboo.

"More and more Ugandans are starting to invest in the bamboo industry, which is closely related to China's experience." Nabujir, who previously served as the Minister of Water Resources and Environment of Uganda, has visited China multiple times to participate in training and seminar activities, many of which are related to the bamboo industry.

"In a huge exhibition center, a variety of bamboo products are displayed, and the variety is amazing." Recalling her experience attending the China International Bamboo Industry Trade Expo, Nabujir is like a book on paper. Under the leadership of Chinese experts, she also visited bamboo plantations, processing plants, and observed how bamboo is processed into high-value goods such as furniture and bamboo charcoal. Nabujir said, "Fully tapping into the potential of bamboo as a renewable resource is an encouraging approach to creating wealth and protecting the environment."

After returning to Uganda, Nabujir established the Bamboo Industry Association, dedicated to sharing knowledge and technological resources related to bamboo production and processing, and promoting the development of the local bamboo industry. Nowadays, the association has over 300 members and regularly organizes training on bamboo plantation management, bamboo production and processing, and bamboo product marketing.

The story of the development of Uganda's bamboo industry is just one of many collaborative projects in human resource development with China's aid to Africa.

In recent years, China has actively promoted cooperation in the development of human resources in Africa through projects such as official training and seminars, technical personnel training, and in-service academic degree education. The project involves more than 100 specialties in 17 fields, including political diplomacy, public management, national development, agricultural poverty reduction, healthcare, education and research, culture and sports, and transportation.

"China's development experience has strong reference significance for Africa." Anthony Mulla, Economic Affairs Advisor to the Office of the Vice President of Uganda, said that he had attended an industrial park planning and construction training course in China and is applying the learned experience to the construction of industrial parks in Uganda. "We look forward to China offering more relevant training and training courses in the future, especially in the fields of emerging city planning, industrial development, modern agriculture, and other areas, and developing closer cooperation with us.".