Experts chart way forward for China’s vocational education

Vocational education should respond to current developments, anticipate future trends, and strive to become more inclusive to encourage international cooperation, experts said at a forum held in Beijing on Sept. 11, 2021.

Vocational education should be compatible with the development strategy of the country, the needs of the people, and the country's overall national capabilities and international status, said Liu Jiantong, Executive Vice President and Secretary-General of the Chinese Society for Technical and Vocational Education, adding that through digital transformation and upgrading, vocational education will play a unique role in addressing China's dependence with respect to key technologies from developed countries while building a highly specialized and responsive talent pool.

Speaking about the purpose of vocational education, Sun Cheng, Research Fellow of the National Institute of Education Sciences, said that high-quality or inclusive digital education will be a great boost for China's educational modernization, serving as an important strategy to strengthen China's regional and international relations as well as overall competitiveness in the future.

Zhao Zhiqun, Professor of the Department of Education at Beijing Normal University, believes that design orientation will be one of the biggest features of modern and adaptable vocational education. Students should not simply adapt to the development of technology, but rather they should participate in designing the future of social technology. They should learn to become more independent, confident, and responsible.

The sub-session on Education and Culture held at the 2021 Taihe Civilizations Forum gathered together scholars specializing in vocational education policies, presidents of vocational training institutes and entrepreneurs from around the world both online and on-site to discuss relevant issues towards "enhancing the adaptability of vocational education".