ACC Joined Hands with Chinese Colleges to Facilitate ASEAN-China Cooperation in Railway Construction

On 21 April 2015, Ms. Sun Xuejing, Education Officer of ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) together with Mr. Qian Jikui, President of Nanjin Institute of Railway Technology (NIRT) and his three colleagues paid a visit to the embassies of Laos and Thailand in Beijing. The delegation met Ms. Bounheng Siharath, First Secretary of the Lao Embassy and Ms. Jiranut Pitakannop, First Secretary of Thai Embassy respectively.

Ms. Sun Xuejing briefed on the purpose of the visit, which was to support the two countries to cultivate technical talents in the relevant fields by taking advantage of China's potentials in railway construction, as well as supporting China-Laos and China-Thai cooperation. President Qian Jikui briefed on the college's profile and said that China had signed Railway MoUs both with Thailand and Laos. Nanjin Institute of Railway Technology, a professional college that has vast experiences in cultivating railway and high-speed talents in China, was willing to provide scholarships, recruit excellent students from the said two countries to study and exchange, to excel the talents in the areas of railway, subway and high-speed trains.

The education officials of the two Embassies were delighted with the proposals, and said that railway talents were the urgent need for their countries, and that the offer for such cooperation was very timely. They promised to report to their country's respective ministries for consideration. They also had an in-depth discussion on the forms by which students from Laos and Thailand could study in China, as well as the number of students and terms. 

President Qian Jikui and the Embassy officials appreciated ACC for providing assistance and opportunity in promoting cooperation between them. President Qian said that NIRT took part in the Chinese Vocational Colleges Tour to ASEAN organized by ACC in 2014, with fruitful outcomes, and managed to recruit the first batch of foreign students to study at NIRT for a 3-year term. He also informed that currently there were more than 20 Indonesian students having studied at NIRT for one year with positive remarks. He stated that NIRT would continue to participate in ACC’s activities, and continue to support China-ASEAN education exchanges and cooperation.