Smart classrooms of China's vocational Luban Workshop open in Kyrgyzstan

BISHKEK, June 28 (Xinhua) -- Two smart classrooms of China's vocational Luban Workshop program opened here Thursday at Kyrgyz State Technical University, featuring donated educational equipment.

At a handover ceremony, Minister of Education and Science of Kyrgyzstan Dogdurkul Kendirbaeva thanked China for its strong support for Kyrgyzstan's economic, social and educational development.

Students who participate in the project will have the opportunity to become highly qualified specialists at an international level, with Kyrgyzstan adopting China's best practices in science and education, she said.

"Kyrgyzstan is ready to closely cooperate with China on the Luban Workshop project, as well as to help in the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative," she added.

Chinese Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Du Dewen said that the establishment of the Luban Workshop in Kyrgyzstan is an important step towards implementing the consensus reached by the two heads of state and strengthening China-Kyrgyzstan cultural and educational cooperation.

Du expressed hope that the project will contribute to high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and the construction of major projects such as the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway.

Named after Lu Ban, an ancient Chinese woodcraft master, the Luban Workshop offers vocational skills training for local communities. Similar workshops have been established in multiple countries.

The Luban Workshop smart classes here were opened jointly by the Zhejiang University of Water Resources and Electric Power and Kyrgyz State Technical University, and have set up four majors: water conservancy and hydropower engineering, electrical engineering and automation, mechanical design, manufacturing and automation, and road and bridge engineering technology.