China-Zimbabwe Engineering Technology Institute established in Harare

Representatives display signed documents at a ceremony marking the establishment of the China-Zimbabwe Engineering Technology Institute in Harare, Zimbabwe. [Photo/Yongpai App]

A new vocational education partnership linking Ningbo and Harare was launched this week with the establishment of the China-Zimbabwe Engineering Technology Institute in Harare.

The institute was jointly founded by the Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education, Ningbo Polytechnic University, and Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt. It is the university's first government-school-enterprise cooperation project in southern Africa and aims to support Zimbabwe's growing demand for skilled technical workers.

The project will expand cooperation with technical colleges nationwide and promote the adoption of professional standards in areas such as mechatronics engineering.

A Zimbabwean official said the country's rapidly developing new energy and advanced manufacturing industries have created an urgent need for high-quality vocational talent.

Since 2022, Ningbo Polytechnic University and Harare Polytechnic College have jointly trained 90 Zimbabwean students under China's Future Africa Plan. The program combines local enrollment, joint training, workplace internships, and employment opportunities.

According to the plan, the new institute will focus on key sectors including new energy, advanced manufacturing, and environmental monitoring. The three sides will jointly develop curricula, share training resources, and explore cross-border vocational certification systems.

A China-Zimbabwe Silk Road Teacher Capacity Building Center has also been inaugurated to improve teaching resources and online education platforms, helping strengthen Zimbabwe's long-term vocational education capacity.