The World Vocational and Technical Education Development Conference is to open at the National Convention and Exhibition Center in Tianjin. [Photo by Pan Yixuan]

The first World Vocational and Technical Education Development Conference (WVTEDC) will kick off in North China's Tianjin, from Aug 19 to 20. It's expected to be shaped into a first-class platform for promoting vocational education development, and become a brand with Chinese allure and global influence.

Sponsored by the Ministry of Education (MOE), the National Commission of the People's Republic of China for UNESCO and the Tianjin government, the two-day event is set to gather 500 representatives from international organizations, domestic and foreign government agencies, enterprises, research institutions and vocational colleges in the beautiful port city, with an additional 300 attending online.

The much-anticipated conference will host a series of activities, including a main forum and 14 parallel forums, a plenary session of the World TVET League, a vocational college skills competition, and an industry-vocational education integration expo with the theme of "Vocational and Technical Education Development in the Post-Pandemic Era—New Changes, New Ways and New Skills".