The mobile robot competition

In the afternoon of November 27, the International Youth Skills Invitational of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area kicked off at our Vocational Education Park in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area. A total of 25 teams from fiveinstitutions, including SZPU, Hong Kong Vocational Training Council, Institute of Technical Education in Singapore, Zhongshan Polytechnic, and Guangzhou Huashang Vocational College, competed together in three competitions: mobile robot, network security, and graphic design.

Co-hosted by SZPU and Hong Kong Vocational Training Council (“VTC”), this International Youth Skills Invitational aimed to promote the exchanges among skilled talents in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area, improve the professional skills of young people, and serve the economic development and talent team building in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area. In particular, teachers and students from the Institute of Technical Education in Singapore were invited to participate in the competition. Their participation injected new vitality into the competition, and also built a broader platform for cooperation and exchanges among brother institutions at home and abroad.

At the welcome luncheon, SZPU Party Secretary Yang Xinbin, on behalf of our university, extended a warm welcome to the leaders and guests from home and abroad who participated in the event. He said that the event was another innovative attempt by SZPU and VTC following the cooperation in building the Vocational Education Park in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area. He hoped to take this opportunity to create a new platform for young people from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau to strengthen vocational skills exchange and cooperation, and provide strong support for promoting the training of skilled talents for high-end service to sectors in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau.

At the opening ceremony, Zhu Chaohua, First-Level Inspector from Department of Education of Guangdong Province, cheered on the participating teachers and students through video recording. He said that the invitational was awonderful event, bringing together outstanding young skilled talents from the five institutions. He hoped that through this event, young friends could learn from each other, deepen exchanges, enhance friendship, constantly pursue excellence, and become high-quality technical and skilled talents to actively participate in the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area, and contribute their youth to the construction of a great power and the rejuvenation of our nation.

The network security competition

Li Zhongshan, Deputy Secretary-General of Education Bureau (“EdB”), delivered a speech on behalf of EdB. He said that education has always been the top priority of the Hong Kong SAR Government, and vocational education is indispensable in promoting the development of higher-quality education in Hong Kong. VTC will work with its partners to further strengthen cooperation in areas such as co-education, practical training and scientific research, and promote exchanges of teachers and students.

SZPU President Xu Jianling delivered a speech on behalf of our university, saying that for so long, SZPU has attached great importance to the exchanges and cooperation of vocational education in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area, and actively promoted the sharing of resources, complementary advantages, collaborative innovation and win-win cooperation in enrollment and employment, training, exchanges of teachers and students, skills competition and other aspects. So far, the university has cooperated with VTC in carrying out five Shenzhen-Hong Kong joint training programs, with a total enrollment of 277 students from Hong Kong. In addition, the Vocational Education Park in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area jointly built by the two sides officially opened in March 2023, once again pushing the “accelerator button” for the synergy of vocational education in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area. It is hoped that this event will help further broaden the platform for communication and collaboration, expand the depth and breadth of cooperation, and set a new example for the reform and innovation of vocational education in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area.

In his speech, VTC Chairman Dai Zetang said that with the advantages of the Vocational Education Park in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area and the efforts and support of all parties, VTC and SZPU jointly held the first skills competition involving teachers and students from five institutions at home and abroad, creating a platform for cross-regional exchanges of young skilled talents.

“The International Youth Skills Invitational of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area provides a quality platform for teachers and students from five participating institutions to share their views on skills training and talent development,” ITE President Lu Qiaoyu said, this event provided an excellent networking opportunity for young students to meet like-minded friends in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area and broaden their skills horizon.

Cao Yong, Vice President of Zhongshan Polytechnic, said that the significance of holding the International Youth Skills Invitational of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area went far beyond the competition itself, as it was more than a stage for young students to display their skills and communicate with each other, but also a bridge for colleges and universities to exchange school-running experience and seek common development.

Lin Kunzhi, President of Guangzhou Huashang Vocational College, said in his speech that the International Youth Skills Invitational of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area served as an exchange platform for young people in the Bay Area to show their skills, enhance friendship, and realize mutual learning. Students should seize the opportunity to learn from each other, work together for a win-win situation, improve their skills, and inspire innovation.

Subsequently, under the witness of all teachers and students, the leaders and guests attending the opening ceremony jointly pressed the start button to officially announce the opening of the International Youth Skills Invitational of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area.

The graphic design competition

It is reported that the mobile robot competition, graphic design competition and cultural exchange activities of the International Youth Skills Invitational of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area were held in Shenzhen, while the network security competition and the closing ceremony were held in Hong Kong. After intense competition, our university won the gold and silver awards in the network security competition, the bronze award in the graphic design competition and the winning award in the mobile robot competition.

(Feng Xing, Office of Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan Affairs)