Africa's first Luban Workshop inaugurated in Djibouti
Recently, theDjiboutiLuban Workshop was inauguratedatDjibouti Industrial and Commercial School, the largest vocational school locally. This is the first Luban Workshop set up by China in Africa, aiming toprovide academic education and vocational training for young Africans and servethe theAddis Ababa-Djibouti Railway and Djibouti'sport economy. Hundreds of peopleattended the inauguration ceremony to witness the important moment, including Djiboutian President Ismail Omar Guelleh, several Djiboutian governmentministers, and the Chinese Ambassador to Djibouti Zhuo Ruisheng.
A Chinese teacher guides local students during a training session on locomotive simulation driving. (Photo by People's Daily reporter Lyu Qiang)
Setting up Luban Workshops in Africa to providevocational skills training for young Africans is a concrete measure to implement the "eight major initiatives" adopted at the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. Guellehextended congratulations on the completion and opening of the Luban Workshop. He said that Djibouti is striving to develop railways, ports, and aviation among others, and the young people trained by the Luban Workshop will greatly enhance Djibouti's national competitiveness. "Chinese technology will bring innovation to Djibouti's education and continuously inject new vitality into Djibouti's development," he said.
Zhuo Ruisheng said that the Luban Workshop will train talents for the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railwayproject and Djibouti's economic and social development, marking a new chapter in China-Djibouti cooperation on vocational education. The ambassador hopes that the two countries will work together to make the Luban Workshop another model of China-Africa cooperation and South-South cooperation, so as todeepen cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
A Chinese teacherexplainsthe measurement of railway gauges to students majoring in railway engineering. (Photo by People's Daily reporter Lyu Qiang)
It is learned that the Luban Workshop adopts a multi-party cooperation modethat brings together governments, schools and enterprises. Itwas jointly built by Tianjin MunicipalPeople's Government, the Ministry of Education of Djibouti, Tianjin Railway Technical and Vocational College, Tianjin The First Commercial School, Djibouti Industrial and Commercial Schooland China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation. The workshopsets up four majorsrelated to railway and business in its first phase, with duration of threeyears.Thus far, the first batch enrollment for railway-related majors includes 24 students, and the business-related majors directly target existing vocational school students.
The Luban Workshop has several high-standard teaching areas in Djibouti Industrial and Commercial School, including the training areas forrailway operation and locomotive simulation driving. The workshop has also set up an off-campus training base atthe Nagad Railway Station, a departure station of theAddis Ababa-Djibouti railway in Djibouti. Students can simulate locomotive driving and exercise how to respond to various unexpected situations inactual operation. The Luban Workshop has also laidrailway tracks in the training areas forstudentsto practice and learn. A logistics teacher at Djibouti Industrial and Commercial School said that the experiential teaching devices enable students to closely combine theory with practice and help effectively improve the level of vocational education in Djibouti.
The off-campus training base, by providing strong support for the training of high-quality technical personnel and the improvement of railway staff's abilities, can better serve the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railwayproject, said an executive from Ethiopia-Djibouti joint railway operating company.An employee of the Nagad Railway Station who had studied railway technology in Tianjin, was very excited when learning that his compatriots couldreceive practical training in Djibouti. "The study that once needed to travel thousands of miles to complete can now be achieved in my motherland. The dreams of more young people will come true,"he said.
