On Jan 15, the Djibouti Luban Workshop held a graduation ceremony for 50 students of the class of 2023 who completed their studies and obtained diplomas.

At the ceremony, minister of Education and Vocational Training of Djibouti Moustapha Mohamed Mahamoud said that the Djibouti Luban Workshop pioneered higher vocational education and filled the gap within the railway profession in the country. He hoped to strengthen ties with China and build the workshop into a model of friendship and cooperation.

Hu Bin, Chinese Ambassador to Djibouti, delivers a speech at the ceremony. [Photo by Zhang Zhiwen for people.cn]

Chinese Ambassador to Djibouti Hu Bin pointed out that this year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Djibouti. According to Hu, China is willing to step up cooperation with Djibouti in human capacity building, in a bid to promote the employment of local youth and add more vitality to Djibouti's economic development.

A representative of the graduates delivers a speech at the ceremony. [Photo by Zhang Zhiwen for people.cn]

The Luban Workshop is a China-proposed vocational training program equipping cooperative local communities with appropriate skills to fully benefit from and participate in development projects.

The Djibouti Luban Workshop, inaugurated in March 2019, is the first of its kind in Africa. It currently offers four majors, featuring railway engineering technology, rail transit operation management, business, and logistics.