The Luban Workshop at Phranakhon Si Ayutthaya Technical College, Thailand - the first of China's vocational education institutes to be set up in a foreign country - was launched by Tianjin Bohai Vocational Technology College on March 8. Its establishment marked the moment that Tianjin, as a national demonstration zone for modern vocational education reform, officially stepped forward to share its outstanding achievements in vocational education with the world. Luban Workshops serve as a bridge for global dialogue and the exchange of vocational education.  

The responsibilities of Luban Workshops include skills training based on economic and social development; Chinese national vocational qualifications training; teacher training for vocational colleges; and academic education. The first Luban Workshop in Thailand covers an area of 232 square meters. It includes a bionic robot learning experience area, a study competition area, a POWERON innovation training area and an automated production line teaching area.

The environmental design of the Luban Workshop reflects the traditional cultures of both China and Thailand, incorporating modern vocational teaching ideas and highlighting Tianjin's achievements in international school-enterprise cooperation in the area of vocational education.

The Luban Workshop uses bilingual internationalized textbooks developed by Tianjin's vocational colleges, and jointly develops teaching projects with Phranakhon Si Ayutthaya Technical College. The workshop selects professional teachers from Thai vocational colleges, providing them with skills training and on-site instruction by Chinese teachers. It has audio and video platforms and an international "microcourse" website platform to make it more convenient for both teachers and students to have classes and exchange ideas. Tianjin will also train a batch of bilingual teachers to improve its education and management levels and develop international training courses.

Following five years of construction work in Tianjin's vocational education demonstration area, the city has built the world-leading Haihe educational park and developed 50 international professional course standards, helping Tianjin’s vocational education go global. The establishment of a Luban Workshop opens up Tianjin's vocational education even further, and means the quality of resources can be fully shared, creating a new mechanism for the internationalization of vocational education.

"It is also important to train internationalized technical talents who have an international vision and are familiar with international rules, as well as overseas localized technical talents who are familiar with Chinese technologies, standards and products," said a representative of the Tianjin Municipal Education Commission. "This is an important way to improve the international competitiveness of Chinese enterprises.”