Luban Workshop builds bridges for international vocational education cooperation

"I was fascinated by the labs and machines, which sparked my interest. When my teacher mentioned the chance to go to China for competitions and learning, I immediately made up my mind to seize the opportunity," said Pedro, a participant of the Luban Workshop in Portugal. He took part in an exchange event organized by Tianjin Vocational College of Mechanics and Electricity and Polytechnic Institute of Setubal, Portugal in May 2023.

The Luban Workshop, a vocational education cooperation project, was initiated by the Tianjin Municipality in northern China. In December 2018, the first Luban Workshop on the European continent was inaugurated in Portugal.

During the months of April to May and September to October, both participating schools arrange exchange programs for each other's teachers and students, facilitating mutual learning and cultural exchanges.

Pedro (right) operates equipment at a workshop. (haiwainet.cn/Xie Ming)

Yuan Hailiang was involved in the planning and establishment of the Luban Workshop in Portugal. He was one of the teachers responsible for providing training to Pedro and other students during the training program in May 2023. Yuan expressed great confidence when discussing the Chinese experience and equipment invested in the Luban Workshop.

Yuan recalled that during the planning and construction of the Luban Workshop in 2018, they collaborated with Professor Jose Lucas from Portugal to research relevant equipment options. They identified several teaching equipment options considered to be at the forefront of domestic instruments used for equipment manufacturing education.

Lucas is head of the Luban Workshop in Portugal. Prior to his first visit to Tianjin Vocational College of Mechanics and Electricity in 2018, he had never anticipated the remarkable development of vocational education and related technical equipment in China.

Since then, Lucas has visited China thrice, actively participating in the establishment of the Luban Workshop and engaging in related endeavors. In May 2023, he visited China a fourth time, leading students such as Pedro in an exchange program.

"The purpose of my visit was to learn about the school structure in China, teaching methods, and competition preparation. I want to promote the development of the Luban Workshop in Portugal and introduce the 'EPIP' teaching model to Portugal," Lucas stated.

Jose Lucas (first from left), Pedro (second from left) and Yuan Hailiang (first from right) discuss technical matters. (haiwainet.cn/Dong Xiaohan)

The "EPIP" teaching model uses engineering, practice, innovation and projects to integrate theoretical teaching and practice. It is the core of the Luban Workshop.

Over the past five years, hundreds of students have graduated from the Luban Workshop in Portugal, with many securing positions in renowned global companies. Pedro, one of these graduates, holds an optimistic outlook on his career prospects.

"Having the opportunity to learn how to operate cutting-edge equipment from the teachers is extremely valuable to me. I'm confident that the knowledge and professional skills I acquire here will be an advantage in my future work," Pedro said.

In May 2023, an international competition to install and debug intelligent production lines was held at Tianjin Vocational College of Mechanics and Electricity, with participants from eight countries, including China, Portugal, and Thailand.

Pedro teamed up with his Chinese classmate, Wang Bo, and their team won first prize. After the competition, Pedro received a gift from his teammate.

"This was a circuit testing tool. It was a very important gift to me," Pedro said. "My teammate was excellent. Despite speaking different languages, we were able to understand each other very well."

Pedro fist bumps his teammate during a competition. (haiwainet.cn/Yang Haoming)

Today, the Luban Workshop has expanded its presence to over 20 countries. Under the guidance of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the Luban Workshop has built bridges of mutual understanding and communication between the Chinese people and people from around the world.