Kazakhstan and China to Establish Joint Vocational College

Kazakhstan and China have agreed to establish a joint vocational and technical college, which is expected to become a leading institution for training specialists with internationally recognized qualifications.

The Chinese side also expressed its readiness to support the professional development of management personnel in Kazakh educational institutions, notably, in the areas of artificial intelligence and digitalization of education, The Caspian Post reports citing The Astana Times.

The agreement was reached during a May 14 meeting between Kazakh Education Minister Gani Beisembayev and Chinese Education Minister Huai Jinpeng, following the ninth meeting of Education Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states in Urumqi.

The event brought together heads of relevant departments of Belarus, China, Iran, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Russia, Uzbekistan, as well as representatives of international organizations and the diplomatic corps, reported the Kazakh ministry’s press service.

The participants discussed key vectors for the development of educational cooperation in the SCO space. Particular attention was paid to the training of competitive personnel, joint academic initiatives, digital transformations and the introduction of artificial intelligence in the educational process.

In his speech, Beisembayev noted the strategic importance of strengthening partnership in the field of technical and vocational education. Particular emphasis was placed on the development of academic mobility, the introduction of joint educational programs and the internationalization of colleges as a tool for improving the quality of personnel training.

Beisembayev and Huai also confirmed their intention to sign a memorandum of cooperation within the framework of the First World Congress on Inclusive Education, which will be held in Almaty this fall.

Currently, colleges in Almaty, Shymkent, and the Zhambyl Region have begun collaborating with leading colleges and industrial clusters in China to exchange experience. Internships for students and teachers have been organized at partner institutions, where they gain hands-on experience with advanced technologies and modern production standards.