UNESCO China‑Africa Vocational Education Cooperation Initiative and the First Working Meeting of 2026 on Quality Development of the China‑Africa MOOC Platform Successfully held in Beijing

On August 20, the China‑Africa Vocational Education Cooperation Initiative and the First Working Meeting of 2026 on Quality Development of the China‑Africa MOOC Platform, co‑hosted by the UNESCO Liaison Office to the African Union and the Sino‑North Africa Education Innovation Association (SNAEIA), were successfully convened in Beijing. Diplomatic envoys from Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Burkina Faso, Benin, Ethiopia, and other African nations, along with representatives of international organizations, gathered for in‑depth discussions on priority areas and implementation pathways for China‑Africa vocational education cooperation.

The event featured addresses by Rita Bissoonauth, Director of the UNESCO Liaison Office to the African Union; Chen Lu, Secretary‑General of SNAEIA; Li Peize, Board Chairman of Continental Han Feng Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. and Chinese Testing International Co., Ltd.; and H.E. Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the People’s Republic of China. Jean‑Louis Moulot, Minister Delegate to the Minister of National Education, Literacy and Technical Education of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, delivered remarks via video.

In her speech, Chen Lu affirmed that SNAEIA will continue to empower China‑Africa partners by systematically documenting best practices, distilling replicable cooperation models, and developing standardized talent cultivation systems. The goal is to broaden, deepen, and refine China‑Africa vocational education cooperation, thereby nurturing talent through education, supporting industries with skilled personnel, and driving shared development between China and Africa through industrial growth. She expressed SNAEIA’s readiness to strengthen collaboration with UNESCO, engage higher vocational institutions across China, harness the expertise of think tanks and specialists, implement projects to high standards, develop quality MOOC resources, and conduct pragmatic cooperation at an elevated level.

During the keynote session, distinguished Chinese and international speakers—including Rita Bissoonauth; Wang Dong, Deputy Director of the Center for Artificial Intelligence General Education, Department of Computer Science and Technology, Tsinghua University; Abdoulaye Salifou, Chief Education Sector of the UNESCO Liaison Office to the African Union; Yang Lihong, Party Secretary of Hunan Technical College of Railway High‑Speed; Fan Yao, Vice President of Yiwu Industrial & Commercial College; and Si Chuanzhou, Director of the Publicity Office of the Party Committee of Jining Polytechnic—delivered presentations. Framed within UNESCO’s standards system, their speeches focused on the co‑construction and sharing of the China‑Africa MOOC platform, and featured substantive discussions on strategic planning, platform development, and implementation pathways for deepening bilateral vocational education cooperation, helping to clarify approaches and build consensus for upgrading collaborative efforts.

The subsequent sharing session, themed “Aligning with Africa’s Industrial Talent Demands: Focus Areas and Pathways for China‑Africa TVET Cooperation,” featured interventions by African diplomatic envoys, including Lynette Mwende Ndile, Deputy Head of Mission of Kenya to China; Dieudonnee Sawadogo, Counselor of Burkina Faso to China; Ukason Macanthony Chika, Counselor of Nigeria to China; Imelda Tiando, First Secretary of Benin to China; and Berhan Alemayehu Tekle, Second Secretary of Ethiopia to China. Drawing on the industrial realities of their respective countries, they provided detailed overviews of current vocational education landscapes, talent gaps, and core needs, while sharing future priorities and outlooks for practical and sustained China‑Africa cooperation.

Thereafter, representatives from the first cohort of participating institutions—including Anhui Water Conservancy Technical College, Beijing Polytechnic University, Guangdong Polytechnic of Water Resources and Electric Engineering, Heilongjiang Agricultural Engineering Vocational and Technical University, and Jiangsu Food & Pharmaceutical Science College—presented their work plans and recommendations for the 2026 UNESCO China‑Africa TVET Cooperation Program.

At the certificate presentation ceremony, Ms. Bissoonauth and Secretary‑General Chen Lu jointly awarded certificates to the selected institutions for the 2026 Program, while Mr. Salifou and Deputy Secretary‑General Zhao Yuling presented certificates for the China‑Africa MOOC Platform.

Subsequently, Deputy Secretary‑General Zhao Yuling officially unveiled a series of key cooperation projects being advanced jointly by SNAEIA and UNESCO, encompassing seven core components: the development of the China‑Africa MOOC platform; implementation of the China‑Africa TVET Cooperation Program; the collection and selection of “China‑Africa Education Partnership Showcase Projects”; the “Power of Her, Future of Her” thematic series; the China‑Africa Education Cooperation and Innovation Development Forum; the China-Africa Cultural Exchange; and the China‑Africa Intangible Cultural Heritage Creative Design Competition and Exhibition.

In his concluding remarks, Mr. Salifou emphasized that the meeting represented a pivotal step in moving China‑Africa vocational education cooperation from framework design to concrete implementation, establishing a solid foundation for the high‑quality rollout of subsequent projects.

The meeting further consolidated consensus on China‑Africa TVET cooperation and charted clear directions for project implementation. Notably, the China‑Africa MOOC platform has already been integrated into the “iChinese” Learning Community of the Center for Language Education and Cooperation. Looking ahead, SNAEIA will continue to coordinate and pool resources from all stakeholders, accelerate project development and MOOC content aggregation, deepen practical collaboration, and jointly foster high‑quality, coordinated advancement of vocational education between China and Africa.