SEAMEO VOCTECH signs MOU with National Joint Conference of Higher Vocational Schools PresidenTS

LNCCIC

Haikou, Hainan China (24 April 2025) - The “Education Following Industry: School-Enterprise Partnership” International Symposium on Vocational Education Cooperation, opened at Haikou city in Hainan Province, China, on the 24^th of April, 2025. Nearly 300 representatives from Chinese and Southeast Asian colleges, enterprises, and institutions gathered to discuss new paths for international cooperation in vocational education and industry integration.

Delegation from the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation Regional Centre for Vocational and Technical Education and Training (SEAMEO VOCTECH) was cordially invited to attend the event by its strategic partner, the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Chongqing (LNCCIC) and Lanmekong China Education Training Promotion Alliance (LCETPA).

At the symposium, the National Joint Conference of Higher Vocational Schools Presidents (JCP) signed an MOU with SEAMEO VOCTECH, as a gateway for promotional and mutual exchange of cooperation between the organisations, including the “Language + Vocational Skills” joint education programs between Chinese and Southeast Asia and the "Belt and Road Consortium on Vocational Industry-Based” that was newly launched at the symposium.

The Consortium's first batch of 131 members - including domestic and foreign educational institutions, enterprises, and organisations aim to comprehensively integrate vocational education programs with industry needs, build a vocational education cooperation network mostly covering China and Southeast Asian countries, align with international production capacity demands via the promotion of coordinated expansion of vocational education and industry, promote China's vocational education standards and technical certification systems for international mutual recognition, cultivate local technical talent for overseas enterprises, and for Southeast Asian countries to support local economic and social development across the region.

Representatives from education institutes and university scholars, including SEAMEO VOCTECH Centre-Director, Mr. Haji Norjemee bin Jenek, delivered keynote speeches; sharing their respective experiences and perspectives. Enterprise representatives from Haier Group, Best Logistics, and others shared overseas talent demands and technical cooperation directions, while domestic and foreign colleges presented ideas to explore innovative ways to reach optimal synergy in education-industry integration.

This event brought together relevant stakeholders from ASEAN countries like Laos, Malaysia, Brunei, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand; as well as education authorities, institutes and industry representatives from China.

As China and Southeast Asia countries enhance regional connectivity through educational and industry integration, together with LNCCIC and LCETPA, SEAMEO VOCTECH is set to play a key part in this effort to promote vocational education and employable skills, ensuring multi-lateral economic and social progress while adhering to its institutional aim to aid SEAMEO-member countries in addressing common issues in technical vocational education and training through professional development, capacity building, knowledge management, research, consultancy, and information dissemination.