On 21 October 2020, a special class for International Chinese Language Education teachers in vocational colleges of the Open University of China (OUC), part of the Belt and Road Initiative, was launched at the OUC’s Harbin Branch.

The class, organised at the branch, and relying on the resources of the Non-ferrous-metal Industry Talent Centre, has enrolled over 150 students, all of whom are university or vocational-college teachers. More than 80 of them have at least master's degrees, including 6 with doctorates, and some are associate professors or above. The class is a pilot for an OUC programme aimed at training teachers of International Chinese Language Education for the Belt and Road Initiative, and is an innovative attempt of the OUC to implement its Comprehensive Reform Plan, building a platform for foreign cooperation while exploring scientific and flexible school-management designs and professional support of learners and teachers.

A delegation of the International Department meeting with Liu Jianguo, president of the Harbin branch, and his team.

Liu Zhanrong, director of the OUC’s International Department; Wang Shuo, deputy director, and Zhang Lining, secretary, of the Party Committee of the Harbin Branch; Liu Jianguo, president of the branch; Zhao Lixia, director of the Training Department of the Non-ferrous-metal Industry Training Centre; Liang Chimin, president of the China Zambia Vocational College of Science and Technology, and vice president Yorick Yamvwa; leaders of the International Chinese Language Education major, and the first group of special-class students, participated in the opening ceremony either online or offline. It was presided over by Bai Baoyan, vice president of the Harbin Branch.

Liu Jianguo stated that the class will train teachers in both professional skills and cultural competence in line with the needs of national strategic development, providing a basis for promoting Chinese language and culture in other countries. Liu Zhanrong described the policies of the Ministry of Education favouring the opening up of educational and international cooperation this year, as well as the deployment of the "Platform for Foreign Cooperation", one of the "Four Platforms" in the comprehensive reform of the OUC. He said that the professional teaching team of the International Chinese Language Education programme will provide targeted teaching support to students of the special class through expert lectures, assessment design, and multi-dimensional evaluation, while integration of learning and teaching, and practical application, will be the focus of teaching.

At the opening ceremony, Yong Liying, dean of the School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering at Harbin Vocational and Technical College, and Meng Qing, deputy director of the International Cooperation Department of Beijing Polytechnic College, spoke as student representatives of the special class, and expressed their strong interest in the programme. Meanwhile, Liu Zhanrong and Zhang Lining donated materials to the China-Zambia College of Science and Technology for controlling Covid-19.

 Liu Zhanrong and Zhang Lining donated materials to the China-Zambia College of Science and Technology for controlling Covid-19.

Yorick Yamvwa expressed his gratitude.

The delegation from the International Department also conducted a detailed investigation of the enrollment, school management, teaching models and resources, training centres, and export of programmes in the International Chinese Language Education major at the Harbin Branch.

By Li Wei,OUC