The 3rd Yangtze River Delta International Cooperation Symposium on Dual-System Education was held in Hefei on November 24. The conference was jointly organized by the Education Departments of Anhui, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang provinces, as well as the Shanghai Municipal Education Committee, with Hefei University as the host. The conference attracted more than 180 representatives from 81 application-oriented universities, higher vocational colleges, as well as those from enterprises and education authorities of the four regions. 

Wu Chunmei, President of Hefei University, attended the meeting. Xu Jingping, Deputy Director of Anhui Provincial Department of Education, presided over the meeting. Zhang Hongjun, Deputy Director of the General Office of Anhui Provincial People's Government, Shao Jian, Vice President of Volkswagen (Anhui) Co., LTD., George Stadler, Chief representative of Hans Seidel Foundation in Shanghai, delivered speeches.

Zhang Hongjun stated that the manufacturing industry in Anhui is experiencing rapid development and has witnessed the preliminary formation of ten emerging industries including high-end equipment manufacturing, new-generation information technology, and artificial intelligence. Anhui’s universities are actively adapting to the needs of economic and social development and serving the development of these ten emerging industries. They have taken the lead in implementing the “dual-system” higher education reform model, improving the alignment between the education chain, talent chain, innovation chain, and industrial chain. On the platform of the Yangtze River Delta International Cooperation Symposium on Dual-System Education, universities and enterprises in the Yangtze River Delta region will continue to collaborate to promote technological advancement and industry upgrading. Through the integration of industry and education and cooperation between universities and enterprises, they will strive to develop Anhui Province as a province strong in science and education, manufacturing, and skilled labor, providing better service for the country and the region’s major strategic needs.

Wang Xiaofeng, Director of Academic Affairs Office of HFU and Head of Volkswagen College, took Volkswagen College as an example to discuss the exploration and practice in building a modern industrial college. The participants exchanged views on the dual-system talent training, Sino-foreign education cooperation and new development models of vocational education. They also shared typical practices, achievements and experiences from various aspects.

The Yangtze River Delta International Cooperation Symposium on Dual-System Education has successfully convened three sessions, achieving fruitful results and earning a good reputation, establishing itself as a brand event for fostering international education dialogue and promoting integrated development in the Yangtze River Delta region. It has played an exemplary and leading role in the development of the education service industry by actively promoting Sino-foreign cooperation, school-enterprise cooperation and fostering the high-quality development in higher education and vocational education in China.