On May 15, a party of 9 people visited Weihai Vocational College for negotiations and exchanges. The team included Ariga Akinori, Director of the General Incorporated Association for Foreign Student Higher Education and Chief of the Affairs Bureau, Narumi Tetu, a researcher of the General Incorporated Association for International People Flow Promotion, Qu Xing, Vice Chairman of the Weihai Municipal Committee of Jiusan Society, and Shan Zhiyong, President of Weihai Baowei Education Group. At the meeting, experts from both China and Japan discussed international cooperation pathways for the training of professional talents in vocational education and service-related majors, such as elderly care services. Wang Zheng, a member of the college Party Committee and head of the United Front Work Department, attended the meeting, along with representatives from the Office, School of Education, School of Transportation, School of Hotel Management, and School of Health and Care.
During the meeting, Wang Zheng extended a warm welcome to the visiting experts and expressed gratitude for the support and assistance that the Weihai Municipal Committee of Jiusan Society and Weihai Baowei Education Group have offered to the college over the years. Wang Zheng provided an overview of the college’s current situation and highlighted its recent achievements in international exchanges. He expressed the hope that this exchange would enable us to learn from Japan’s experiences in addressing aging populations and declining birth rates, particularly in the fields of healthcare, hospitality, childcare services, and other industries. The aim of this exchange is to enhance the internationalization level of relevant majors at the college and foster deeper collaboration in the field of vocational education.
Shan Zhiyong stated that Weihai Baowei Education Group, being a member of the Weihai Municipal Committee of Jiusan Society and a long-time friend of Weihai Vocational College, is privileged to support the college’s external communication endeavors. He hopes that this exchange program can act as an opportunity to further expand the college’s international “circle of friends” and establish an international cooperation platform for mutual learning, exchange, and sharing.
The Japanese experts expressed sincere thanks for the warm reception extended to them by the college, and shared their latest research findings and successful experiences in the field of vocational education. Ariga Akinori and Narumi Tetu respectively introduced the higher education system, specialized vocational university system, and employment planning in the hotel industry in Japan. They emphasized that vocational education should be closely integrated with the needs of industrial development and focus on cultivating students’ practical skills and innovation spirit.
Both sides also discussed the possibility of expanding cooperation in other areas. Both parties expressed their unanimous commitment to actively develop a cooperation platform in the future. Their aim is to establish a friendly cooperation bridge between Chinese and Japanese colleges and universities, enhance deep-level, wide-ranging, and all-encompassing cooperation, promote the sharing and complementing of education resources, and integrate the exchange of educational philosophies.
Prior to the meeting, the experts visited the college’s Intangible Cultural Heritage School, affiliated kindergarten, Jianxing Building (the practical training base of the School of Hotel Management), and the International Exchange Exhibition Hall. They spoke highly of the college’s comprehensive teaching facilities, innovative teaching system, and the professional qualities demonstrated by the students.
“We are looking forward to strengthening cooperation with Japanese colleges and universities through this exchange, providing more opportunities for students to study abroad and pursue further education, while also promoting the deepening and consolidation of international education standards between China and Japan,” said the head of the college’s Foreign Exchange Center.
The successful convening of this meeting has laid a foundation for both parties to engage in exchange and further cooperation. It has not only deepened the understanding of each other’s educational philosophies and teaching systems, but also provided new ideas for future collaboration. Next, the college’s foreign exchange efforts will actively implement the strategic principles of “high-end, global, and personalized,” cultivating high-level talents with cross-cultural communication skills, innovative thinking, global perspective, and a world vision.