Recently, a delegation of teachers and students from USA Heritage School in Florida, the United States, paid a visit to CIIT (Changzhou Vocational Institute of Industry Technology). Yao Qingwen, Vice President of CIIT, warmly received the 32-member delegation on behalf of the college.
Yao Qingwen extended a warm welcome to the teachers and students from USA Heritage School in Florida, the United States, and gave them a detailed introduction to CIIT’s educational heritage, characteristics of vocational education, strengths in practical training, and achievements in international education. During the exchange, he presented intangible cultural heritage works of Jintan paper-cutting to the visiting teacher representatives on behalf of CIIT, awarded completion certificates to the visiting students, and took group photos with the teachers and students.
The visiting teachers and students visited a number of practical training venues at CIIT, including the Li Auto Practical Training Base, Jiangsu Maternal and Infant Industry College, and Baidu Intelligent Connected Innovation Demonstration Base. They observed practical training teaching in new energy vehicle technology, e-commerce live streaming, intelligent manufacturing and other fields at close range, personally experienced professional facilities such as live streaming e-commerce, 5G cloud driving, and robotic dogs, and gained a direct understanding of the appeal of China’s vocational education and the innovative strength of “Smart Manufacturing in China”. In the cultural experience session, the teachers and students appreciated purple clay artworks by Master Wang Xiaoli of CIIT, made Changzhou green rice cakes with culinary students, and enjoyed an immersive taste of Jiangnan’s unique charm in daily life.
Rachel and Sianna, two American students, said that the trip had given them a firsthand experience of the distinctive strengths of China’s vocational education and its vibrant learning atmosphere. They were deeply impressed by the warm hospitality from the faculty and students of CIIT, the unique charm of intangible cultural heritage, and the innovation of modern technology. They will return to the United States with the experiences and insights gained from this exchange, act as envoys of Sino-US cultural exchanges, and help more young Americans understand the real China and the beautiful Jiangsu.
As a brand program for international education exchange in Jiangsu Province, the “Discover Jiangsu · International Youth Exchange Program” has invited more than 4,000 young people from around the world to Jiangsu for exchanges since 2015. The visit of teachers and students from the program is an important step for CIIT to implement the requirements of Jiangsu’s international education exchange and deepen exchanges between Chinese and American youth. CIIT will continue to rely on high-quality international exchange platforms, enrich forms of international exchange, expand channels for international cooperation, and invite more overseas young people to visit, study and exchange at CIIT to learn more about China, Jiangsu and CIIT.
Relevant leaders from the Changzhou Municipal Education Bureau, as well as heads of relevant departments of CIIT, including the School of Mechanical and Transportation Engineering, School of Information Engineering, School of Tourism and Health Care, School of Art and Creative Design, Office of International Affairs, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs, and School of Overseas Education, attended the event.