The inauguration ceremony of the first overseas learning centre of the Open University of China (OUC), the OUC Learning Centre in Zambia, was held at Chambishi park in Zambia-China Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone (ZCCZ), in Chambishi, the third largest city in Zambia, on 18th October 2017.
OUC deputy Party secretary Yang Xiaotang led a delegation at the inauguration ceremony and solemnly announced the establishment of the OUC Learning Centre in Zambia. Zhou Wei, deputy director of the Division of Vocational and Adult Education (DVAE) of the Ministry of Education (MOE), and Tao Xinghu, deputy general manager of China Nonferrous Metal Mining (Group) Co., Ltd (CNMC), inaugurated the Learning Centre. Also in attendance at the inauguration ceremony were the head of the MOE’s Vocational Education Institute, Wang Yangnan; deputy general manager of China Nonferrous Metal Industry Talent Centre, Song Kai; director of the Organisation and HR Department of CNMC’s Party committee, Jia Zhenhong; leader of the occupational education pilot programme of China’s Nonferrous Metal Industry in Zambia, Liang Chimin; executive deputy director of the OUC Chinese Language Centre, Yang Yongbo; director of the OUC Logistics and Security Department, Liu Bingjing; deputy director of the OUC Department of Finance and Asset Management, Hu Liduan; project director of the International Cooperation and Exchange Department, Dai Jing; representatives of CNMC’s subordinate companies in Zambia; and teachers from the Second Training Class of the Chinese Vocational Education Going Global Pilot Programme.
The inauguration ceremony for the OUC Learning Centre in Zambia
MOE DVAE deputy director Zhou Wei and CNMC deputy general manager Tao Xinghu inaugurated the ceremony
OUC delegates attending the opening ceremony
The founding of OUC Learning Centre in Zambia is a specific measure as part of the implementation of Advancing the Co-construction of Education along the Belt and Road Route (Jiaowai No. 46，2016) and Regarding Cooperation with Countries along the Belt and Road in the Construction of OUC Overseas Schools released by the MOE, a part of the OUC’s 13th Five-Year plan, and an active practice of the OUC’s International Development. During the inauguration ceremony, deputy secretary Yang Xiaotang pointed out: "The OUC planned to establish a number of overseas Learning Centres in countries along the Belt and Road route and vigorously develop international education during the 13th Five-Year." The establishment of the OUC Learning Centre in Zambia is also a response to the policy of helping Chinese vocational education go global, which aims to serve Chinese enterprises through education, improve their competitiveness in overseas markets, and explore a development model for vocational education in overseas countries through cooperation with enterprises.
Construction Background
In December 2015, the General Office of the MOE issued the Approval of the Pilot Programme of Bringing Vocational Education in the Nonferrous Metals Industry to Overseas Countries (JZCTH No. 55,2015), which gave approval to the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association, relying on the National Nonferrous Metals Vocational Education Teaching Guidance Committee, to use CNMC as a pilot enterprise to develop vocational education pilot work in the nonferrous metals industry and select eight vocational colleges across the country to join the pilot project. The OUC also actively participated in the pilot project.
In May 2017, OUC vice president Liu Chen led a delegation to Zambia and investigated the construction of the OUC’s overseas learning centre. The delegation visited CNMC-Luanshya Copper Mines PLC, Luanshya Craft Training School, NFC Africa Mining PLC., Chambishi Copper Smelter Limited, and other companies and schools. Through meetings with the senior management of CNMC’s affiliated enterprises and interviews with the staff of the enterprises, the tutors, and the students, the OUC gained an understanding of the enterprises and their training status and training needs. Discussions were also held on how to improve the professional skills of the local staff, their Chinese language level, and the overall management level. After sorting and analysis, the investigation results have provided a foundation for the construction of overseas learning centres for the OUC relying on the overseas planning of Chinese enterprises.
After five months of intense preparation, the learning centre was formally established in October 2017. As the deputy general manager of CNMC, Tao Xinghu, pointed out: "This is a very good thing, in that it not only echoes the trend of “going global”, providing education and language support for enterprises and helping them solve development problems, but also created a precedent for the dissemination of Chinese culture. This endeavour will become an important impetus for Chinese enterprises to go abroad and an important channel to spread Chinese culture and promote the common aspirations of different people, which will have a positive and far-reaching impact."
Teaching Resources
The OUC Chinese Language Centre has done a lot of preparatory work for the establishment of the OUC Learning Centre in Zambia. Teachers and technical personnel, based on the transformation and integration of existing Chinese teaching resources, have built a teaching platform for the OUC Learning Centre in Zambia. Since internet speed in Zambia is not so good, they also adapted to the learning network and copied the learning resources to the servers in Zambia. At the same time, 100 Sentences for Industrial Chinese (Trial Edition), a set of text books jointly written and edited by the OUC Chinese Language Centre and members of the Vocational Education Going Global Pilot Grogramme working group for the three specialties of Welding, Mining and Metallurgy, and Maintenance, has been issued.
The Learning Platform of the OUC Learning Centre in Zambia
The application of 100 Sentences for Industrial Chinese (Trial Version) will gradually be expanded to cover different professions and extended to comprehensive industrial Chinese language training for Chinese enterprises in Zambia. In future, the OUC will expand Chinese language training to other areas outside of industrial Chinese, broaden training for Chinese enterprises to other enterprises in Zambia, in an effort to serve Zambia's economic development and provide human resources support for the development of Chinese enterprises and the economic and social development of the country where the learning centre is located.
Teaching Model and Teaching Practice
The OUC Learning Centre in Zambia will adopt the “One Centre with a number of Tutorial Centres” teaching model, with the main office at the ZCCZ headquarters building. The first three Tutorial Centres are located at ZCCZ, NFC Africa Mining PLC, and CNMC Luanshya Copper Mines PLC. At the beginning of October 2017, not long before the inauguration of the OUC Learning Centre in Zambia，the NFCA Industrial Chinese Training class was launched. According to CNMC’s subordinate companies in Africa, the level of Chinese language learning will be directly linked to salary and performance, rewarding those with good results.
The opening ceremony for the NFCA Industrial Chinese Training Class
The Overseas Chinese Learning Centre Industrial Chinese Training Class
In the future, in the early stages the OUC Learning Centre in Zambia will focus on teaching Chinese as a foreign language, using a combined online and offline teaching method. It is hoped that its teaching will gradually expand to other management specialties and cover the development of both degree and non–degree education.
Teaching Team
The teaching team is of key importance to the construction of the overseas centre. The construction of the OUC Learning Centre in Zambia greatly benefited from the MOE’s pilot programme “Vocational Education Going Global”, which helped to integrate more human resources investment. The teachers currently engaged in teaching Chinese in Zambia mainly come from the eight pilot vocational colleges. The teachers major in electromechanical engineering, civil engineering, mineral processing, and metallurgy. The first group of teachers, before going to Zambia in June 2017, accepted training in industrial Chinese organised by the OUC Chinese Language Centre. The teaching team from the OUC Chinese Language Centre and the team in Zambia will form a cooperation mechanism and teachers in China will provide teaching resources, support, and assistance for frontline teachers.
Hardware Input
In order to meet the teaching requirements, the OUC has invested in 137 computers, 200 desks and chairs, and equipment for three computer classrooms for the overseas learning centre in Zambia. Teachers from the OUC Chinese Language Centre, with the support and assistance of the Logistics and Security Department, the Finance and Asset Management Department, and the Experimental School, tested and packed the 137 computers, shipped them to Tianjin port, received and checked 200 desks and chairs delivered to the port by the manufacturer, and monitored the loading of them to containers, all during their summer holiday. The goods departed from Tianjin on 1st August, sailed along the maritime silk road, went across the Strait of Malacca and the India Ocean, and then arrived at Dar Es Salaam port in Tanzania. After customs clearance and overland transport, which lasted more than two months, they finally arrived in Luanshya, Zambia, during the Chinese National Holidays. With the help of the employees of CNMC Luanshya Copper Mines PLC, they were delivered to and assembled at the other two tutorial centres at ZCCZ and NFC Africa Mining PLC. A local area network for online teaching was built at the tutorial centre at ZCCZ.
Overseas Learning Centre
Today we celebrate the establishment of the OUC’s first overseas learning centre in beautiful Zambia. Today’s results are just the first step on the road towards a common cause, the cause to make education global. The transformation and development of the OUC and the mission and emotions of a nation will make more progress and achievements because of our efforts. Today we stand at a historical point and witness this glorious moment, which will be a source of pride in years to come. It is hoped that under the joint efforts of all of our colleagues, the OUC can continue along the road to internationalisation.
The establishment of the OUC’s Zambia Learning Centre greatly benefited from the support of CNMC, which was founded in 1983 and is now a large-scale enterprise under the management of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) of the State Council. CNMC ranks 386th on the 2016 Fortune Global 500. Its major business areas include the development of nonferrous metal mineral resources, construction engineering, and related trade and technological services. CNMC has been a pioneer among Chinese enterprises in implementing the “Going Global” strategy and carrying out international investment and cooperation in the nonferrous metal mineral resources field. CNMC’s business and trade cover more than 80 countries and regions, involving over 40 different nonferrous metals, including copper, lead, zinc, nickel, beryllium, tantalum, niobium, gold, and silver. CNMC has invested in and operated a number of landmark mining development projects in Zambia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Thailand, Congo (DRC), and Tajikistan. It has received a number of honours and titles, such as “Technology Innovation Award”, “May 1st Labour Medal”, “Ten Largest Chinese Enterprises That Moved Africa”, “Ten Leading Enterprises for China’s Economic Development”, and ”Performance Improvement Special Award“” from the SASAC of the State Council. As the earliest enterprise in the nonferrous metals industry in China to implement the “Going Global” strategy, it has been nearly 20 years since CNMC entered Zambia in 1998. In these 20 years, CNMC’s development in Zambia has transformed from small to large scale. It started with one company and has grown into 14 companies and an industrial cluster with a unique model of development. The current annual output value of CNMC is about 10 billion yuan, with 400 million yuan in tax revenue. Considerable economic benefits have been achieved and a good image has been established. It has also won the recognition of the Zambian government, which has contributed positively to the bilateral friendship between China and Zambia. CNMC’s model of success in Zambia will be expanded to other central and southern African countries, such as Congo and South Africa, and CNMC has become a business model for other central enterprises.
Written by Yong Yongbo, Wang Shuo and Cao Xiaoyan
Photos by Yang Yongbo, Wangshuo and Lin Kai