The opening of the Madagascar Luban Workshop on Dec 22, 2020, marks the 6th workshops in Africa in a row this year.

Madagascar Luban Workshop[]Photo/lubanworkshop.cn]

Adding the other 4 Luban Workshops opened earlier in 2019, a total of 10 workshops fulfilled the commitment that made during the 2018 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.

The Madagascar Luban Workshop is in the Higher Polytechnic Institute of Madagascar in Antananarivo, and has a floorage area of 2,000 square meters. It was jointly constructed by the Tianjin Vocational College of Mechanics and Electricity and the Tianjin Machinery and Electric Industry School.

The workshop launched two majors in electrical engineering and automotive engineering as its first phase. In addition, it built one vehicle maintenance training base and eight professional training labs for electrical maintenance, equipped with 113 items of equipment.

In terms of teaching resources, the Madagascar Luban Workshop uses bilingual teaching materials in Chinese and English languages. All of the teaching materials were selected based on the local conditions, education and teaching characteristics of Madagascar, as well as its employment prospects. 

Luban Workshop is a brand that has been originated, promoted, organized and implemented by Tianjin. The northern Chinese city is a national modern vocational education reform and innovation demonstration area.

The first Luban Workshop opened in March 2019 in Djibouti. In December that year, Luban Workshops were completed in Kenya, South Africa and Mali. 

In 2020, Nigeria, Egypt, Uganda, Cote d'Ivoire and Madagascar have all gradually constructed Luban Workshop respectively. The Tianjin University of Technology, the Tianjin Sino-German University of Applied Sciences and nine other higher vocational colleges and three secondary vocational colleges devoted themselves to the cooperative construction of these workshops.

Luban Workshops in Africa have launched 23 majors in manufacturing, new energy, mechatronics, railway operation and Chinese traditional medicine, thanks to the abundant local resources and Chinese corporations' overseas operations.

The workshops have also provided skill trainings to teachers in Africa in Chinese standards beforehand, then the local teachers give courses to local students.

The vocational education cooperation system of Luban Workshops in Africa is also expected to help promote culture communication between China and Africa.