On February 25, Mr. Diaby Kader, President of Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny (INP-HB), led a delegation to visit Shenzhen Polytechnic University (SZPU). Party Secretary Yang Xinbin met with the delegation at Conference Room 101 in Mingde Building, where both parties engaged in in-depth discussions on educational cooperation and talent cultivation, reaching multiple agreements. The delegation included representatives from INP-HB’s School of Digitalization and Information Security, the School of Production, and the Department of European, African, and Asian Cooperation and Development, while attendees from SZPU included representatives from the School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, School of Construction Engineering, School of Food and Drug, School of Management, School of Artificial Intelligence, and the Office of International Exchange and Cooperation.

During the discussion, Yang Xinbin warmly welcomed the delegation and introduced SZPU’s approach to integrating technological innovation with industrial productivity, as well as its achievements in faculty development, curriculum design, and teaching methodologies. He highly praised the efforts and achievements of the “China-Africa Class” students from INP-HB studying at SZPU. Yang also highlighted that SZPU has developed tailored course training packages to meet the needs of “China-Africa Class” students and has organized various extracurricular activities to enhance their overall competencies. He emphasized that youth are the future of a nation and expressed hope that the students studying at SZPU would contribute their wisdom and efforts to Côte d’Ivoire’s technological progress, economic development, and the long-standing friendship between China and Côte d’Ivoire.

In the subsequent discussions, Diaby Kader shared insights into the academic and career progress of the first cohort of “China-Africa Class” students after their return home. He also provided an overview of INP-HB’s institutional strengths and achievements, proposing to expand existing cooperation in fields such as digitalization, mechanical engineering, information security, and artificial intelligence. By sharing resources, exchanging information, and conducting joint research, he expressed his hope to enhance INP-HB’s global competitiveness while supporting technological advancement and talent cultivation for Côte d’Ivoire’s urban and rural development.

Both sides engaged in in-depth discussions on specific areas of cooperation and reached multiple agreements. These include promoting the accreditation and expansion of the Construction Engineering program by Côte d’Ivoire’s Ministry of Education, jointly establishing an overseas Institute of Engineering and Technology to facilitate China-Africa educational cooperation, supporting AI development and applications, and strengthening collaboration and exchanges in fields such as hospitality management and mechanical and electrical engineering.

At the end of the meeting, both sides exchanged commemorative gifts and took a group photo, marking the successful conclusion of the visit. This visit further strengthened the partnership between SZPU and INP-HB, paving the way for broader cooperation in education, talent development, and technological innovation.

(Chen Yana, Office of International Exchange and Cooperation)