On March 28, another Indonesia-China Partnership Workshop on Vocational Education (aka. Workshop on Vocational Education Initiation Cooperation Indonesia-China) was held in Denparsa, Bali, following the fruitful workshop held in Jakarta on March 26. The workshop was hosted by Bali Provincial Education Quality Assurance Agency, attracting more than 30 decision makers from education departments, directors of Polytechnic and principals of vocational high schools around Bali to meet with the 20 delegates of the second group of Chinese Vocational Colleges’ Trip to ASEAN from China for further cooperation initiatives. Altogether 13 bilateral MoUs were signed between the institutions.
Dr. Made Mariana, Director of Bali Provincial Education Quality Assurance Agency extended his welcome to the Chinese delegation, and expressed his gratitude for ASEAN-China Centre, Indonesian Embassy in Beijing and SEAMOLEC for organizing this event. He said that the Chinese delegation was the first foreign delegation in the field of vocational education they had ever received, and wished the decision makers of education departments and heads of schools and colleges in Bali Province could take favorable advantage of this opportunity to start cooperation with Chinese vocational colleges.
In the networking session, the participants from both sides made institutional introduction of each other and discussed about the initiatives of further cooperation in students exchange, teaching staff exchange, and joint programmes. The Chinese delegates welcomed Indonesian students to study in their vocational colleges, and some promised to provide scholarships. The Indonesian participants felt much encouraged and planned to pay a return visit to China in June, aiming to start practical cooperation. The Chinese delegation also visited the Bali No. 3 Vocational High School. The Principal and some teaching stuff warmly welcomed the Chinese delegation. The Chinese delegation was introduced the development of this school and their will for cooperation with Chinese vocational colleges in Chinese language learning, and exchanges of students and teachers. Mr. Ji Wenlin, the Chair of College Council of Jiangsu Agri-animal Husbandry Technology Institute, also the head of the Chinese delegation, promised to send one teacher this September to teach Chinese in this school; and other Chinese delegates all expressed their welcome to the Indonesian graduates to study in their colleges with scholarships.
The Chinese delegation has already visited Jakarta with the convening of the Indonesia-China Partnership Workshop on Vocational Education in Jakarta on March 26. These activities are part of the second group of Chinese Vocational Colleges’ Trip to ASEAN, organized by ASEAN-China Centre, and also one of the warming-up activities of the 7th China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week (CAECW), which will be held in September this year, in Guizhou Province. The delegation will also visit Singapore to seek further bilateral cooperation with Polytechnics there.