A ceremony was held on Thursday to release the bilingual book series The Luban Workshop and EPIP Book Series in Tianjin. The event is an element of the advance events ahead of the upcoming World Vocational and Technical Education Development Conference, which is set to open on Friday in Tianjin. [Photo by Wei Bing/For chinadaily.com.cn]

A ceremony was held on Thursday to release the bilingual book series The Luban Workshop and EPIP Book Series in Tianjin.

EPIP refers to engineering, practice, innovation and projects — keys to boosting China's vocational and technological education and launching a major educational model. The Luban Workshop is a vocational and technological education project provided by leading Chinese vocational colleges in overseas countries since 2016.

Lyv Jingquan (left), the author of the book series and vice-president of Tianjin University of Technology and Education, inked a partnership with Chang Xiaoling, deputy editor-in-chief of Foreign Language Teaching and Education Press, to promote more publications on the Luban Workshop. [Photo by Wei Bing/For chinadaily.com.cn]

The event unfolded before the World Vocational and Technical Education Development Conference, which is set to open on Friday.

During the event, Tianjin University of Technology and Education inked a partnership deal with the Foreign Language Teaching and Education Press in a bid to publish more such series overseas.

Around 700 representatives from 123 countries and regions are expected to attend the conference in Tianjin on Friday and Saturday, the Ministry of Education said on Wednesday.

A foreign student operates a machine during the first World Vocational College Skills Competition in Tianjin. [Photo by Pan Yixuan/For chinadaily.com.cn]

Tianjin, a pilot city designated by the Ministry of Education to boost vocational education, is home to 26 higher vocational colleges, 45 technical secondary schools and 22 technical colleges. There are more than 300 majors.

Over the past five years, Tianjin's vocational colleges have cultivated more than 260,000 qualified graduates.

To date, Tianjin has set up 20 Luban Workshops in Asia, Europe and Africa.

In advance of the conference, the first World Vocational College Skills Competition kicked off in Tianjin and Jiangxi province earlier this month. Final results will be announced during the conference.

Chinese students majoring in traditional Chinese medicine perform baduanjin, a traditional form of aerobics. [Photo by Wu Yiwen/For chinadaily.com.cn]

The World Vocational and Technical Education Development Conference is set to open on Friday in Tianjin. [Photo by Pan Yixuan/For chinadaily.com.cn]

Logo of the Luban Workshop. [Photo by Wu Yiwen/For chinadaily.com.cn]