On April 18, the China-Philippines Silk Road Institute of Economics and Trade, jointly established by ZJIET, China-Philippines Silk Road Institute Foundation, University of Perpetual Help System, and Parkson Group (Philippines), was inaugurated in the lecture hall of the ZJIET Teacher Development Center. The ceremony, and the School-Enterprise Cooperation Seminar held afterwards, was attended by the leading officials from different sides. They include, Chen Dequan, ZJIET President, Jiang Lijun, ZJIET Vice President； Ms. Nova Marie N. Estabillo, Student Personnel Services Director of the Ministry of Education of the Philippines；Lan Jingjing, Director of International Cooperation and Exchanges of Zhejiang Department of Education；Yang Yingjun, Director of the Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation Office of Zhejiang Department of Commerce；Dr. Ferdinand C. Somido, President of the University of Perpetual Help System；Zhang Hongyang, President of the Silk Road Institute Foundation； and Jacqueline, International Affairs Representative of Parkson Group (Philippines) . Witnessed by other participants from China and the Philippines via video link at ZOOM, the signing and unveiling of the cooperation program was presided over by Jiang Lijun, vice president of ZJIET.
Chen Dequan, in his opening speech, introduced ZJIET and its international cooperative programs. The ZJIET president pointed out that the school shall take the great opportunity of the Belt and Road Initiatives by actively involving in and serving our national strategies. The overseas Silk Road Institute, as an important vocational education window opening to the outside world, shall take the full advantage of its power in vocational education quality development to promote the export of the Chinese language + professional skill teaching model and provide talent and intellectual support for the economic development of BDI countries and regions. The establishment of the China-Philippines Silk Road Institute of Economics and Trade is an important step in deepening the educational and cultural exchanges between China and the Philippines as well as a powerful boost to the education internationalization of ZJIET. It is also another practical measure of our active response to the Belt and Road Initiatives and the Chinese enterprises’ ambitions to go global. Chen hoped that the four parties will adhere to the Silk Road spirit of peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit in their joint efforts to build a high-quality personnel training and technical support platform for the cross-border e-commerce industry chain, and promote the economic development and friendly relations between the Chinese and Philippine peoples.
Lan Jingjing explained Zhejiang’ general plan for and the progress of the education action of Silk Road Institute construction under the Belt and Road Initiatives promoted by the Chinese Ministry of Education and the Department of Education of Zhejiang. She noted that we should focus on making full use of Zhejiang’s advantages in the higher education and multinational enterprise resources, actively build talent training, technical services, and cultural exchange platforms, and strengthen and serve the quality construction of the Silk Road Institute in our province. She hoped ZJIET will steadily push forward the cooperation with the Chinese enterprises and educational institutions in the Philippines to upgrade the education and services provided by the Silk Road Institute, and turn the joint education body into an example and a platform for humanity and cultural exchanges between China and the Philippines.
Yang Yingjun pointed out that Zhejiang, as one of the major provinces in the trade with the Philippines, has made positive efforts in enhancing the economic and trade exchanges between the two nations, with impressive achievements. The director hoped that ZJIET could seize the opportunity to deepen the school-enterprise cooperation and jointly build the Silk Road Institute into a benchmark for such cooperation. He also said that as the provincial authority in charge of overseas investment and economic cooperation, his office will continue to pay attention to and support the follow-up operation of the Institute.
Zhang Hongyang expressed her wish that the four parties will build on the current excellent bilateral relations to further explore the education and cultural cooperation and exchanges between the two countries. By digging the educational and cultural resources and the cooperation potentials, they can create a new momentum for the communications between the young peoples and the healthy development of the Zhejiang enterprises in the Philippines. Ms Jacqueline presented a general briefing of Parkson Group (Philippines) and the current challenges confronting the Chinese companies operating abroad. She hoped that the China-Philippines Silk Road Institute of Economics and Trade will be a bridge of bilateral communications in seeking a talent training model that shall meet the needs of the Chinese enterprises in the Philippines so as to alleviate the challenges in their localization process.
In the presence of the leaders and guests attending the meeting, the China-Philippines Silk Road Institute Foundation and Philippine University of Perpetual Help System signed the Memorandum of the Philippine Higher Education Talent Training Cooperation Program. At the same time, ZJIET, University of Perpetual Help System, Parkson Group (Philippines) and the China-Philippines Silk Road Institute Foundation signed the Cooperation Memorandum of Jointly Building the China-Philippines Economics and Trade Silk Road Institute.
Ferdinand and Jacqueline respectively unveiled the plaques of the China-Philippines Silk Road Institute of Economics and Trade and the ‘Chinese Language + Vocational Skills’ Practice and Training Base” of the China-Philippines Silk Road Institute of Economics and Trade.
After the ceremony, the two sides had an in-depth school-enterprise dialogue on the teaching mode, curriculum organization and faculty team building of the proposed programs of the China-Philippines Silk Road Institute of Economics and Trade .
Leading officials of ZJIET’s secondary schools and relevant administration offices were present at the ceremony.
