On the afternoon of November 28, under the guidance of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Grenada and the Foreign Affairs Office of Zhejiang Provincial People's Government, and with the careful preparation of the Foreign Affairs Office of Ningbo Municipal People's Government, Ningbo University of Technology, Grenada's T.A. Marryshow Community College, Ningbo Yinzhou Vocational High School, and the Confucius Institute at T.A. Marryshow Community College, the 4th China·Zhejiang (Ningbo) - Grenada Automotive Maintenance Teacher Training Program officially kicked off. The opening ceremony was held in the meeting room of Ningbo Yinzhou Vocational High School.
Chinese representatives including Jiao Shuanglin, Deputy Director of Ningbo Municipal Foreign Affairs Office; Chen Zhirong, Vice President of Ningbo University of Technology; Lu Ke, Party Secretary of Ningbo Yinzhou Vocational High School; and Zhang Wujian, Principal of Ningbo Yinzhou Vocational High School, attended the event. Foreign representatives included His Excellency Ma Yan, Ambassador of Grenada to China; and Norrella Philip, Foreign Assistant of the Confucius Institute at T.A. Marryshow Community College.
Ambassador Ma Yan highly praised the firm support and outstanding contributions of Ningbo Municipal Government, Ningbo University of Technology, and Ningbo Yinzhou Vocational High School to this automotive maintenance teacher training program. He emphasized that based on the political foundation of both countries adhering to the one-China principle, the program is a flagship achievement in promoting vocational education cooperation, technical capacity building, and people-to-people exchanges. Meanwhile, he urged the seven Grenadian participants to cherish this hard-won learning opportunity, diligently study automotive maintenance technology, deeply experience Chinese culture, bring back what they have learned and felt to Grenada, and serve as envoys of friendship between China and Grenada.
Principal Zhang Wujian introduced the basic situation of Ningbo Yinzhou Vocational High School. He pointed out that as a benchmark school for automotive maintenance education in China, Yinzhou Vocational High School has continuously deepened the integration of production and education as well as international cooperation, relying on its national-level demonstration majors and the educational achievements of 40 national competition gold medals. He stated that Yinzhou Vocational High School is willing to join hands with T.A. Marryshow Community College to focus on teacher team building and skilled talent training, and is committed to cultivating high-quality technical and skilled talents. This training will further strengthen the "Chinese Language + Vocational Skills" cooperation, promote the high-quality development of vocational education between China and Grenada, and write a new chapter in the friendly exchanges between the two countries.
Norrella Philip sincerely thanked and highly affirmed the automotive maintenance teacher training program that Ningbo University of Technology has continuously carried out for four years. She noted that the program allows students to directly access industry-standard tools and modern technologies, effectively bridging the gap between theory and practice, and significantly improving students' technical capabilities and professional qualities. She expressed the hope to further deepen cooperation with Ningbo University of Technology in "Chinese Language + Vocational Skills" education and provide more learning opportunities for students of T.A. Marryshow Community College.
Vice President Chen Zhirong extended sincere gratitude to the embassies and consulates of China and Grenada, the Foreign Affairs Office of Zhejiang Province, the Foreign Affairs Office of Ningbo Municipality, the Education Bureau of Ningbo Municipality, and Ningbo Yinzhou Vocational High School for their long-term care and support for the university's work. She reviewed the 10-year development history of the Confucius Institute at T.A. Marryshow Community College and introduced its achievements in Chinese teaching, HSK (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) examinations, and brand activities. She stated that following the visit of the Prime Minister of Grenada to the university at the beginning of the year and the recent successful holding of the "Grenada Day" event to mark the 20th anniversary of the resumption of diplomatic relations between China and Grenada, this training program once again translates the high-level consensus of the two countries into concrete actions and writes a new chapter in the practical cooperation between the two sides. She encouraged the seven participants to "learn with questions and practice according to needs," and extensively share their knowledge after returning to Grenada so that the technical achievements can benefit more Grenadian people.
During the 12-day offline training, automotive maintenance teachers and reserve faculty from T.A. Marryshow Community College will receive comprehensive practical training in automotive maintenance technology, conduct in-depth exchanges with relevant colleges and departments of Ningbo University of Technology, and participate in field visits and research activities at venues such as the Ningbo Urban Exhibition Hall and Geely Auto Hangzhou Bay Base.
