Shenzhen Polytechnic University deepens cooperation with Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny of Côte d’Ivoire
February 25, 2025—A delegation from Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny (INP-HB) of Côte d’Ivoire visited Shenzhen Polytechnic University (SZPU) to establish new collaborative initiatives in education and talent development.
The high-level delegation, led by Professor Diaby Kader, President of the INP-HB, visited SZPU for an exchange aimed at strengthening collaboration. The delegation included heads from the School of Digital and Information Security, the School of Production, as well as school of the European, African, and Asian Cooperation and Development. Extensive dialogue focused on educational partnerships and talent cultivation, resulting in multiple agreements.
Yang Xinbin, Party Secretary of SZPU, extended a warm welcome to the leadership of INP-HB, introducing SZPU's approach to integrating technological innovation with industrial productivity, as well as its achievements in faculty development, curriculum design, and teaching methodologies. He highly praised the efforts and achievements of the students of "The Future of Africa—China-Africa Applied Talent Joint Training Program (China-Africa program)" from INP-HB studying at SZPU. Yang also highlighted that SZPU has developed tailored course training packages to meet the needs of China-Africa program students and has organized various extracurricular activities to enhance their overall competencies. He emphasized that youth development is the key to a nation's future and expressed hope that the students studying at SZPU would contribute their wisdom and efforts to Côte d'Ivoire's technological progress, economic development, and the long-standing friendship between China and Côte d'Ivoire.
Diaby Kader expressed his gratitude for SZPU's support and shared updates on the first cohort of China-Africa program students after their return home, highlighting their employment and further studies. He also outlined the achievements and five key development directions of INP-HB, which ranks second among French-speaking African institutions. He emphasized the university's commitment to cultivating applied talents and strengthening cooperation with top international institutions to enhance research capabilities and teaching quality. Diaby proposed expanding the existing collaboration with SZPU in areas such as digitalization, mechanical engineering, information security, and artificial intelligence. Through resource sharing, information exchange, and joint research initiatives, both universities aim to enhance their global competitiveness and contribute to Côte d'Ivoire's urban and rural development by providing technological support and talent training.
Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny of Côte d'Ivoire Delegation Visits Shenzhen Polytechnic University
The China-Africa program is a subproject of the broader China-Africa Vocational Education Cooperation Project initiated by the Chinese Ministry of Education to promote educational exchanges and cooperation within the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation framework. The program addresses the human resource needs of African countries for infrastructure development and industrialization, focusing on critical fields such as construction and mechanical engineering through joint training between Chinese universities and enterprises.
SZPU, one of the first pilot institutions in this initiative, has partnered with INP-HB to cultivate applied talents in construction engineering. The program employs a "1.5 + 1.5 + 0.5" cooperative education model , allowing students to study in both Côte d'Ivoire and China before receiving graduation diploma and degree from both sides. Since 2023, three cohorts of 74 students have studied at SZPU. In September 2024, students from this program achieved outstanding results in the Ninth African Vocational Skills Challenge, winning one first prize, two second prizes, and two third prizes.
2024 Graduation Ceremony for Construction Engineering Management (China-Africa Program)
Physical Modeling Practical Training Course
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