Officials, faculty and the 31 Zimbabwean graduates of the "Future of Africa" China-Africa Applied Talents Joint Teaching Programme at the closing ceremony in Ningbo, China, on September 17, 2026. (Photo: Ningbo Polytechnic University)
Graduates of the China-Africa joint programme head home with job-ready skills for Zimbabwe's industry
Eighteen months ago, China was only a distant country on the map; today, it has become our second home.”
NINGBO, ZHEJIANG, CHINA, September 21, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- On the afternoon of September 17, the graduation ceremony for the “Future of Africa” China-Africa Applied Talents Joint Teaching Programme, jointly run by Ningbo Polytechnic University (NBPU) and Harare Polytechnic of Zimbabwe, was held at NBPU’s Alliance Mansion Lecture Hall.— Panashe Tinodiwa Mudondo, student representative
The ceremony was attended by H.E. Abigail Shoniwa, Ambassador of the Republic of Zimbabwe to China; Dr. Tafadzwa Mudondo, Secretary of the Tertiary Education Service Council (TESC) of Zimbabwe; Ms. Li Li, Deputy Director-General of the Ningbo Education Bureau; Dr. Wu Xiangpeng, President of NBPU; Ms. Cen Yong, Vice President of NBPU; Ms. Liu Jin, Member of the CPC Committee of NBPU; Mr. Zhang Zhenyu, HR Head of Huayou Cobalt; Mr. Chen Minghui, HR Head of the Zimbabwe Base of Huayou Africa Industrial Group; and Mr. Fan Zhuang, Deputy General Manager and R&D Director of Haitian Education. Together with faculty and student representatives, they witnessed 31 Zimbabwean students receive their certificates of completion.
In her address, Ambassador Shoniwa spoke highly of the achievements of China-Zimbabwe cooperation in vocational education. She said that by jointly training skilled technical professionals and closely aligning teaching with the real needs of industry, Ningbo Polytechnic University and Harare Polytechnic have supplied Zimbabwe with a cohort of job-ready, locally rooted technical talent. She expressed her hope that the two countries would continue to deepen cooperation in vocational education and bring more joint initiatives to fruition.
Expanding University, Government and Industry Cooperation
As one of the first pilot institutions under the “Future of Africa” China-Africa TVET Cooperation Programme, Ningbo Polytechnic University has partnered with Harare Polytechnic since 2022 to run the China-Africa Applied Talents Joint Teaching Programme, building a pipeline of local talent for Chinese enterprises expanding overseas.
In his remarks, NBPU President Wu Xiangpeng said the certificates recognised the students’ hard work and marked the achievements of China-Zimbabwe cooperation in education and industry-education integration. The skills the students acquired in Ningbo, he noted, would be directly applicable when they returned to Zimbabwe. He encouraged the graduates to carry forward the friendship between China and Zimbabwe, support China-Africa cooperation, and put their skills to work in advancing industrialisation and modernisation in their home country.
Over the years, the two institutions have worked together to train skilled professionals in mechanical and electrical engineering, developing joint curricula, expanding hands-on training and promoting cultural exchange. Their partnership has also helped build a steady pipeline of technical talent for Zimbabwe. In May 2026, Ningbo Polytechnic University joined TESC and Huayou Cobalt to launch the Sino-Zimbabwe Engineering Technology Academy and the China-Zimbabwe Silk Road Teacher Capacity Building Centre. The new initiatives have expanded the partnership beyond cooperation between the two institutions to a broader model involving government, education and industry.
Linking Skills Training with Chinese Companies’ Global Expansion
Industry-education integration is the most distinctive feature of this programme. Ningbo Polytechnic University has tailored its programmes to meet the overseas talent needs of leading Zhejiang-based companies such as Huayou Cobalt and Haitian Group. It has incorporated industry job standards into the curriculum and brought company engineers into course design and hands-on training, giving students a direct pathway from the classroom to overseas employment.
The ceremony also included a pre-employment signing for Huayou Cobalt interns, at which a group of outstanding students received pre-employment offer letters. Upon their return home, they will join Huayou Cobalt’s base in Zimbabwe as interns.
“I am thrilled and proud to be able to intern at Huayou Cobalt and bring the advanced technology I have learned in China back to Africa to help build my homeland,” said Given Augustine, one of the students who received offer letters, adding that this recognition had filled him with confidence in the future.
Representing Huayou Africa Industrial Group, Chen Minghui, HR head of the Zimbabwe base, congratulated the graduates on completing their studies in China. He encouraged them to make the most of the opportunities ahead, settle into their new roles quickly and continue developing their skills through hands-on experience. He also hoped that the university and the company would further strengthen their partnership in education and industry, delivering win-win outcomes for the university, the company and the students.
To thank the partner companies for their outstanding contributions to the training of international students, NBPU conferred the honour of “Outstanding Contributors to China-Africa Industry-Education Integration” on Haitian Group and Huayou Cobalt.
Students Take Their Skills Home to Zimbabwe
Dr. Mudondo praised the quality of the “Future of Africa” China-Africa Applied Talents Joint Teaching Programme. He noted that the programme has opened up high-quality career development paths for Zimbabwean youth, and hoped that the two countries would further deepen their education cooperation, including through teacher exchanges and the joint development of standards.
Student representative Panashe Tinodiwa Mudondo fondly recalled the time he spent in Ningbo: “Eighteen months ago, China was only a distant country on the map; today, it has become our second home. We will return to our home country with the skills we have acquired here and do our part for Zimbabwe’s development. I love Ningbo Polytechnic University, and I love China!”
After the scholarship ceremony, the students took to the stage in groups to receive their certificates. Their instructors also sent video messages congratulating the students and wishing them well.
The ceremony marks another milestone in China-Zimbabwe vocational education cooperation and in people-to-people exchanges under the Belt and Road Initiative. Ningbo Polytechnic University will continue to draw on its role as a China Aid Vocational Training Centre and a “Future of Africa” pilot institution to strengthen China-Africa ties through vocational education.
About Ningbo Polytechnic University
Ningbo Polytechnic University is one of Zhejiang Province’s designated universities with distinctive strengths in international education. It has been named one of China’s Top 50 Higher Vocational Colleges for International Influence for consecutive years and has twice received the Award of Excellence from the World Federation of Colleges and Polytechnics (WFCP), keeping it at the forefront of global engagement among China’s vocational institutions.
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