On December 22, the opening ceremony of the Dual-Training Innovation Class in Mechatronics Technology for Smart Manufacturing under the China-Germany Advanced Vocational Education (SGAVE) project, organized by the Ministry of Education, was held at our school. The ceremony, themed "China-Germany Cooperation, Dual-Training Education, Empowering Smart Manufacturing," marked a new stage in the internationalization of the school’s vocational education and the integration of industry and education.

Attending the ceremony were Ms. Bettina Fricke, Assistant Representative of the Bavarian Institute for Education and Digitalization in China, Mr. Liu Donghai, Deputy General Manager of Rhein-Koster Co., Ltd. (China), along with the school's President Wang Lei and Vice President Geng Junmei. Together, they unveiled the plaque to inaugurate the Dual-Training Innovation Class.

Also present were German experts, leaders and technical directors from Rhein-Koster, heads of the School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, faculty members of the project team, representatives from the Office of Science Technology and Foreign Affairs, as well as 36 students enrolled in the program.

At the opening ceremony, Ms. Bettina Fricke introduced that the project operates on a three-year cycle, fully integrating the educational strengths of both China and Germany. By providing an international curriculum system, implementing collaborative teaching with dual instructors and modular teaching methods, and leveraging international certification mechanisms, the project aims to enhance students' ability to adapt to industrial changes. It also actively encourages students to develop their collaboration and innovation skills through practical experience.

Mr. Liu Donghai emphasized the significant role of Germany's dual-system education in national development. He encouraged students to uphold the craftsmanship spirit of "pursuing excellence, precision, and dedication," proactively cultivate lifelong learning abilities, and prioritize foreign language learning to lay a solid foundation and accumulate lasting advantages for their future development. He also stated that the company would provide comprehensive practical training and technical support throughout the process, aiming to create a model of Sino-German cooperation.

Wang Lei stressed that the school attaches great importance to the SGAVE project, regarding it as a key initiative to advance internationalization and deepen the integration of industry and education. He expressed high expectations for the project's future development and the outcomes of Sino-German educational collaboration. He pointed out that this opening ceremony marks a critical milestone in the integration of vocational education concepts between China and Germany. Further efforts are needed to deepen the mutual empowerment of resources from both sides, strengthen the closed-loop of school-enterprise collaborative education, and strictly ensure the quality of talent cultivation. He also urged students to overcome impatience, immerse themselves in skill development, broaden their international perspectives, and strive to become high-quality skilled professionals.

Geng Junmei highlighted the school's accumulated experience in education, achievements in industry-education integration, and national-level honors. She emphasized that the SGAVE project serves as a crucial platform for introducing the German dual-system concept and expressed hope that students would grow into internationally competitive talents in smart manufacturing.

On behalf of the faculty, Xie Junyan pledged to integrate Chinese and German educational philosophies, deepen teaching reforms, enhance the competencies of dual-qualified instructors, accompany students on their growth journey, and contribute to cultivating backbone talents for the industry.

Student representative Yin Yibo expressed his commitment to holding himself to high standards, mastering professional skills diligently, actively participating in practical activities, supporting fellow students, and striving to become a new force in the field of smart manufacturing.

Prior to the ceremony, representatives from the school and the enterprise held a discussion in the meeting room of the Comprehensive Building. They engaged in in-depth exchanges on the project's development journey, future plans, the Sino-German dual-system education model, and outcomes, further consolidating their consensus on cooperation.

This opening ceremony has established an international talent cultivation platform for the school. Moving forward, the school will leverage this project as a driving force to continuously deepen industry-education integration, expand international cooperation, and focus on cultivating more high-quality talents with both global perspectives and outstanding skills. This effort aims to inject new momentum into the transformation and upgrading of regional industries.