Luban Workshop cultivates talents and promotes friendship

BEIJING, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- At the 2024 World Vocational and Technical Education Development Conference held in Tianjin, Kalkidan, a 24-year-old Ethiopian, briefed visitors on an industrial robot training platform at the booth of Ethiopian Luban Workshop.

Kalkidan (1st R) introduces an industrial robot training platform to a visitor at the booth of Ethiopian Luban Workshop during the 2024 World Vocational and Technical Education Development Conference in Tianjin, north China, Nov. 22, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)

Kalkidan had been trained until this September at the Luban Workshop in Ethiopia since 2021. Established by the Tianjin University of Technology and Education (TUTE) and Ethiopian Federal Technical and Vocational Training Institute, the workshop specializes in industrial robotics, mechatronics, industrial control, and industrial sensor technology, providing valuable skills for Ethiopian students in various technological fields.

Currently, Kalkidan studies information and telecommunication engineering at the TUTE. "I'm deeply impressed by the vocational education model here, highlighting the close integration of vocational education and industrial needs," she said, adding that she will return to her homeland after graduation to help nurture more vocational and technical talents.

Kalkidan views a set of equipment at the Tianjin University of Technology and Education in Tianjin, north China, Nov. 22, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Ran)

Kalkidan attends a training class at the Tianjin University of Technology and Education in Tianjin, north China, Nov. 22, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)

Kalkidan (2nd R) attends a class at the Tianjin University of Technology and Education in Tianjin, north China, Nov. 22, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Ran)

Kalkidan poses for a photo at the Tianjin University of Technology and Education in Tianjin, north China, Nov. 21, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)

Kalkidan attends a class at the Tianjin University of Technology and Education in Tianjin, north China, Nov. 22, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)

Kalkidan (3rd L) visits the 2024 World Vocational and Technical Education Development Conference in Tianjin, north China, Nov. 22, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Ran)

Kalkidan walks in the campus of Tianjin University of Technology and Education in Tianjin, north China, Nov. 21, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)

Kalkidan poses for a photo in front of the sculpture of Lu Ban, the revered Chinese artisan, at the Tianjin University of Technology and Education in Tianjin, north China, Nov. 22, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Ran)

Kalkidan (R) talks with her schoolmate about a Chinese class at the Tianjin University of Technology and Education in Tianjin, north China, Nov. 21, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)

Kalkidan tries traditional Chinese embroidery at the 2024 World Vocational and Technical Education Development Conference in Tianjin, north China, Nov. 22, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Ran)

Since its establishment in April 2021, the Chinese-built Ethiopian Luban Workshop, hosted inside the premises of the Ethiopian Federal Technical and Vocational Training Institute, has successfully held 37 training programs, training over 1,000 local teachers and students, ultimately becoming a key achievement in China-Ethiopia vocational education cooperation.

This photo taken on Feb. 15, 2024 shows a view of the Luban Workshop in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. (Xinhua/Li Yahui)

Yonas Akele (L) and Jiang Jiang, head of the Luban Workshop in Addis Ababa, work together in the Ethiopian Federal Technical and Vocational Training Institute in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Feb. 15, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Yahui)

This photo taken on Feb. 15, 2024 shows a classroom of Luban Workshop in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. (Xinhua/Li Yahui)

By now, Luban workshop has set up 34 workshops in 30 countries and regions.

Students walk past the Luban Workshop of Ayutthaya Technical College in Ayutthaya, Thailand, Sept. 29, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)