Chinese vocational workshop on architecture launched in Cambodia to train local talents

KANDAL, Cambodia, March 29 (Xinhua) -- The Luban Construction Workshop College, a Chinese vocational workshop program training talents overseas, was inaugurated in Cambodia's southeastern province of Kandal on Wednesday.

The workshop was jointly-established by China's Jiangsu Vocational Institute of Architectural Technology, the China State Construction Engineering Corporation, and the Cambodia Airport Investment Company.

Shen Shide, president of Jiangsu Vocational Institute of Architectural Technology, and Heng Vanda, chairman of the Cambodian Higher Education Association and president of the Vanda Institute, attended the inauguration ceremony.

Shen said the workshop would train Cambodian talents on architectural design, architectural decoration, engineering technology, and architectural engineering technology, among other architectural specialties.

"The Luban Construction Workshop College will provide high-end technical skill courses to young talented engineers in Cambodia," he said.

The Luban Construction Workshop College is named after Lu Ban, an ancient Chinese woodcraft master who represents the Chinese tradition and spirit of craftsmanship.

Hang Amatak, a Cambodian instructor at the Luban Construction Workshop College, said fresh graduates or students at various schools in the Southeast Asian nation would be selected for study at the workshop.

"This technical skill training is to help Cambodian students gain a better insight into the field of civil engineering," he told Xinhua.

"It's a very good opportunity for Cambodian students to gain an insight into Chinese construction techniques as Chinese instructors will come to teach here," he said. "Outstanding students will be granted scholarships to pursue their studies in China."

During the event, an agreement was also signed between the Jiangsu Vocational Institute of Architectural Technology and the Vanda Institute, saying, "Both parties agree to sponsor activities such as student exchange, teacher training, curriculum development and academic communication."

The agreement also pledged joint efforts to foster local talents in line with international standards in order to meet demands from the international labor market.

The Luban Construction Workshop College operates in the complex of the new Phnom Penh international airport under construction, formally known as the Techo Takhmao International Airport, in Kandal province, about 20 km south of the national capital Phnom Penh.