[Explanation] China has built the world's largest vocational education system, with a total of 11,500 vocational schools and over 28 million students.
With the adjustment of the economic structure, many enterprises are facing a large shortage of skilled talents. On the other hand, there are still many prejudices against vocational education from all walks of life.
Since May this year, the "Vocational Education Law of the People's Republic of China", which was revised for the first time in 26 years, was officially implemented, bringing a turning point in solving the difficulties of vocational education.
[Concurrent] Lu Jiasheng, Chairman and Principal of Xiamen Nanyang Vocational College
There are still some prejudices or lack of understanding in our society. For vocational education to develop better, it must first be guaranteed by laws and systems. The revision of the Vocational Education Law has fundamentally solved this problem.
It will definitely bring a spring to our vocational education.
[Explanation] As a vocational education pioneer, Lu Jiasheng has a rich resume. He worked in key undergraduate colleges and then went to the special economic zone to do business. In 2000, he founded Xiamen's first private college, Xiamen Nanyang Vocational College.
In an exclusive interview with a reporter from China News Agency, Lu Jiasheng talked about the original intention of running a school.
[Concurrent] Lu Jiasheng, Chairman and Principal of Xiamen Nanyang Vocational College
Xiamen Nanyang College was co-founded by me and 15 young and middle-aged entrepreneurs and scholars at home and abroad. The biggest motivation at that time was that after I worked in Xiamen for a period of time, I found that there was a shortage of practical talents in this special economic zone, so Nanyang The first feasibility report we issued in 1995 was called the Special Economic Zone Practical Talent Training Institute, which was later named Xiamen Nanyang College.
[Explanation] Lu Jiasheng believes that the most important thing in the new Vocational Education Law is that it legally emphasizes that vocational education is as important as general education. He said that the history of Xiamen Nanyang Vocational College is a vivid epitome of vocational education.
After more than 20 years of unremitting efforts, the number of students in the school has grown from less than 200 at the beginning to 12,000 today. At present, the school has set up 13 secondary colleges and 42 majors. Each major is required to connect with at least one high-quality enterprise. The school has established a school-enterprise cooperation relationship with nearly 200 enterprises to jointly cultivate technical talents.
[Concurrent] Wang Zhixiang, director of Xiamen Nanyang Kaicheng Xinke Intelligent Equipment Co., Ltd.
All the colleges are only us now, only we have this opportunity to have access to the installation and commissioning of this special robot, and then what we have learned is still not market-oriented.
[Explanation] In July 2017, a subsidiary of CITIC Heavy Industries joined hands with Xiamen Nanyang Vocational College to establish China's first special robot industry college.
As the earliest group of students, "post-00" Wang Zhixiang devoted himself to learning the installation and debugging process of special robots.
Due to his excellent grades, Wang Zhixiang was promoted to the director of the equipment company jointly established by the school and the enterprise. After two years of exploration, Wang Zhixiang has led students to assemble more than 40 robots and sent more than 100 talents to the special robot industry.
[Explanation] Walking into the teaching and research center, Wang Zhixiang proudly showed to reporters from China News Agency that the school team had driven a self-installed special robot to rescue the fire.
Wang Zhixiang said frankly that he never expected to be able to come into contact with high-end technology here. He has long been out of the haze of failing in the college entrance examination, and he often talks with his juniors.
[Concurrent] Wang Zhixiang, director of Xiamen Nanyang Kaicheng Xinke Intelligent Equipment Co., Ltd.
You can completely put aside your previous shortcomings or gaps, or anything you have not learned, or your foundation is weaker than others, because you are engaged in a completely new thing, and you should have the confidence to do it well.
[Explanation] The assembly and debugging of special robots is inseparable from professional technical teaching. Because the equipment has not yet been market-oriented and there is very little information, the teachers of the school have continuously explored and compiled a set of teaching materials. At the same time, in the practical courses, education, industry and market organically integrated.
[Concurrent] Hou Hongke, Executive Dean of the School of Aviation and Mechatronics, School of Information Engineering, Xiamen Nanyang Vocational College
Teaching is production, and production is teaching.
In the process of production, it is a manifestation of teaching. Teaching uses modern apprenticeship to lead students to make this product. This product must also be promoted to the market. Students have their own innovative applications and ideas to improve the utilization of equipment. , Technological transformation of the equipment, market promotion of the equipment, they have their own ideas.
[Explanation] More than one-third of the teachers of Xiamen Nanyang Vocational College are recruited from enterprises. At the same time, the school also encourages other teachers and international students who have graduated from ordinary colleges and universities to open studios or companies while teaching. More than 600 teachers in the school. More than half of the employees have corporate work experience.
[Explanation] Deeply cultivating the integration of production and education is the characteristic of Xiamen Nanyang Vocational College. As the founder, Lu Jiasheng also has rich experience in enterprise operation. Now that he is over sixty years old, he is still tireless and is studying higher education at the Education Research Institute of Xiamen University. Dr. Lu Jiasheng, who has been running the school for more than 20 years, was deeply touched by the educational feat of the school owner, Mr. Tan Kah Kee, who “would rather sell the building than run Xiamen University”. He said that the aggressiveness of the overseas Chinese to “go to Nanyang” motivated him to insist on running the school. This is also the origin of the name of Xiamen Nanyang Vocational College.
[Concurrent] Lu Jiasheng, Chairman and Principal of Xiamen Nanyang Vocational College
We have inherited Mr. Kah Kee's legacy, especially since I came to run a school myself, I can really deeply understand that running a school is different from running a business.
Running a business and earning a fortune will make you happy, but only for a while, and for a few hours.
After I set up Nanyang College, I will work a lot harder and invest a lot more time and energy, but I say that my worries and troubles are less than before, and it seems that I am always happy.
[Explanation] The employment rate of graduates of Xiamen Nanyang Vocational College has remained above 99% for 19 consecutive years, and the entrepreneurship rate of fresh graduates has exceeded 10% for three consecutive years, delivering more than 50,000 technical and skilled talents to the society.
As sung in the school's school song "Love to Win", "Three points are destined, seven points depend on hard work." With the help of the new vocational education law, vocational teachers represented by Xiamen Nanyang Vocational College will set sail again. Set sail, ride the wind and waves, and sail to the "new blue ocean".
Reporter Li Siyuan reports from Xiamen, Fujian
Responsible editor: [Fang Jialiang]