Recently, the opening ceremony for the practical teaching program for international students enrolled in the MOFCOM Degree Education Program was held at Hunan Technical College of High-Speed Railway. Leaders attending the event included Yuan Shiping, Party Secretary of the School of Traffic & Transportation Engineering; Helai Huang, Dean of the School of Traffic & Transportation Engineering; Chen Weiya, Vice Dean of the School of Traffic & Transportation Engineering; and Yao Fangyuan, President of Hunan Technical College of High-Speed Railway.According to the program arrangement, the practical teaching session lasted five days, from April 21 to 25. During this period, 24 international students from countries including Rwanda, Ethiopia, and Laos participated in an immersive experience of the full process of technical talent cultivation for China’s railway industry.
In his welcome remarks, President Yao Fangyuan extended a warm welcome to all participants and introduced the college’s distinctive teaching features and resource advantages developed on the basis of the rail transit industry. He encouraged the international students not only to improve their professional skills in railway engineering, but also to build friendships with classmates from different countries. He expressed the hope that in the future they would bring Chinese technical standards, vocational education and teaching models, and experiences in cultural exchange back to their home countries, thereby building bridges for international cooperation.
In his speech, Dean Helai Huang emphasized:“As students in the international class who are about to graduate, you will shoulder an important mission in advancing railway modernization in your home countries.”He expressed three expectations. First, students should develop a deep understanding of China’s high-speed railway technical standards and management models. Second, they should focus on mastering core technologies such as traction and braking systems and the operation and maintenance of passenger transport hubs. Third, they should help build bridges for technical exchange in the field of rail transit between China and other countries. He also expressed his appreciation to Hunan Technical College of High-Speed Railway for providing advanced training equipment for the practical teaching program.
After the ceremony, Party Secretary Yuan Shiping, Dean Helai Huang, and their delegation visited the college’s comprehensive practical training base, observed on-site teaching in courses such as rail signal control and rolling stock maintenance, and toured the college history museum.
On the afternoon of the first day of the program, the international students began intensive hands-on training. Under the guidance of instructors, the students were divided into groups to carry out practical rail measurement exercises.“The level error must be controlled within 2 millimeters,”said An Bei from Ethiopia as he carefully adjusted the measuring instrument.“China’s high-speed railway standards have left a deep impression on me.”In the rolling stock maintenance class, the students took turns inspecting each component.“Being able to touch these precision components with my own hands is far more intuitive than looking at drawings in textbooks,”said Ying Ping, a student from Laos, excitedly. At the locomotive driving simulator, Ying Songfang, also from Laos, was already able to complete the start-up procedure skillfully.“I want to take every detail taught by my Chinese teachers back to my hometown,”he said.
The practical teaching component of the degree education program for foreign aid is not only intended to cultivate high-level international talent, but also serves as an important measure in support of China’s internationalization strategy and the Belt and Road Initiative. Taking this practical teaching program as an opportunity, the school will further deepen cooperation with the vocational college, jointly promote the MOFCOM Degree Education Program to a higher level and deeper stage of development, cultivate more outstanding international business professionals, support China’s opening-up strategy, and contribute wisdom and strength to the building of a global community with a shared future.
