New Hebei-UK collaboration seeks to improve vocational education in the province

Hebei is exploring a proposed collaboration with the UK as part of a wider programme of international partnerships to strengthen the provision of vocational and technical education in the province. 

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Hebei Province in Northern China surrounds the municipalities of Beijing and Tianjin and is one of China’s oldest industrial areas, with a vast population of 75 million. The province is home to over 120 universities and Higher Education Institutions (HEI), a mix of comprehensive universities, specialised institutions and vocational colleges. 

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However, historically, the outcomes from vocational education in Hebei Province have been disappointing; so in recent years Provincial and Central governments have launched improvement initiatives for a vocational education reform, improving standards in curriculum and teaching, particularly at Levels 4 and 5, to support the province’s ever-growing industry. 

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In 2023, the Hebei Provincial Association for UNESCO (HPAU) set up the Hebei International Vocational Education Development Alliance, bringing together HEIs with government departments and international partners, including Pearson Education, to promote the reform. 

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One of these initiatives is a proposed collaboration with a UK HEI, which would see vocational lecturers and tutors from Hebei shadow their counterparts in the UK to gain insight into successfully delivering applied Level 4 programmes, particularly Health and Social Care, Engineering, Sports Management and Modern Methods of Construction. 

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Globallink Partnerships is pleased to be financially supporting the pilot collaboration, working with our partners in Hebei to connect Chinese lecturers with a HEI in the UK.