A delegation of students and teachers from the Tajik Technical University (TTU) will arrive in China tomorrow for a nearly one-month training program at Tianjin Urban Construction Management & Vocation Technology College.

During their stay in the northern coastal city, the 12-strong delegation will receive advanced training in the Engineering Practice Innovation Project (EPIP), a vocational teaching model that was developed in Tianjin. The group will also study urban thermal energy and engineering measurement technologies, as well as visiting various colleges and enterprises in Tianjin and school-enterprise cooperation units in other cities and provinces.

Besides the teaching, the delegation will participate in a series of cultural exchange activities, including a friendly vocational skills competition between China and Tajikistan and the second China-Tajikistan Vocational Education Forum.

One notable member of the delegation is Bozorzoda Bakhtiyor, a junior student at TTU. Featured on China Central Television News, last year, Bakhtiyor developed a passion for his major while studying at the Tajikistan Luban Workshop, abandoning his initial plans to switch major. He has said he will make the most of his valuable learning experience in Tianjin to master advanced surveying and mapping techniques, ultimately aiming to contribute to his country's development upon his return.

The Tajikistan Luban Workshop, the first of its kind in Central Asia, is a collaborative effort between Tianjin Urban Construction Management & Vocation Technology College and TTU. Spanning 1,138 square meters, the facility offers majors in urban heating application and engineering measurement technologies. It includes two practice centers – one green and one smart – for student projects, and is equipped with 377 sets of teaching equipment and an online classroom.

In just over a year, the Luban Workshop has provided theoretical learning and practical training to more than 1,500 undergraduate and graduate TTU students, with a near three-fold increase on initial student enrollment.

Recently, eight TTU students successfully passed the international student selection interviews and will travel to Tianjin for further studies in September.

Professor Rashid Alimov from Tajikistan's Academy of Public Administration highlighted the importance of the Luban Workshop. He said that the central Asian countries need a large number of highly-qualified graduates to promote industrial transformation, and that the workshop has played a crucial role in cultivating such talent.