Group Photo
On December 18th, the establishment conference of the Tourism and Pan-Service Industry Sub-Committee of the China - New Zealand Vocational Education Development Alliance & the Ist Seminar of the Sub-Committee was successfully held at QTC. Hosted by the China Center for International People-to-People Exchange Ministry of Education (CCIPE) and organized by Qingdao Technical College (QTC) as the leading college of the sub-committee, Zhang Quanhua, Deputy Director of the Mechanism Work Division of CCIPE; Peter Richardson, Director of International Office at Toi-Ohomai Institute of Technology (Toi-Ohomai); Xing Guanglu, President of QTC; as well as representatives from numerous vocational colleges across the country attended the conference. The attendees engaged in in-depth discussions on the international development of vocational education in the tourism and pan-service industry. The meeting was chaired by Zhang Xupeng , Vice President of QTC.
In the speech, Xing Guanglu reviewed the cooperation history between our College and Toi-Ohomai, expressed gratitude for the long-term support from all parties, and put forward three key directions for the construction of the sub-committee: firstly, building a tourism vocational education community featuring “ a core body with two supporting wings and mutual empowerment”; secondly, strengthening the development of vocational education brands, innovating the training model of “three-loop leadership and industry-education integration”, and developing a “foundation for pre-university studies” and a “coordination center” for China-New Zealand tourism-related overseas study; thirdly, advancing the digital strategy in depth, promoting the internationalization of Chinese standards for new cultural and tourism formats, and supporting the digital dissemination of Chinese culture.
Zhang Quanhua extended congratulations on the establishment of the sub-committee and noted that as the first to be set up among the seven professional sub-committees of the alliance, the Tourism and Pan-Service Industry Sub-Committee has received high attention from CCIPE. Zhang hoped the sub-committee would take a leading role in accurately identifying mutual needs and exploring cooperation resources; improve shared mechanisms to maximize benefits; strengthen connotative development to advance substantive projects; and enhance people-to-people bonds by expanding student exchange visits and teacher study tours, enabling young students to become envoys of cultural exchange between China and New Zealand.
Peter Richardson introduced the distinctive strengths of New Zealand’s vocational education and expressed the willingness to jointly develop and share teaching resources as well as cultivate professional talent through collaborative efforts. Wang Yuanyuan, dean of the school of tourism of QTC, reported on the preparatory work of the sub-committee. All members reviewed and unanimously adopted the sub-committee’s constitution, clarifying its operational rules and regulations. Zhang Quanhua announced the list of member colleges of the sub-committee on the spot: QTC and Toi-Ohomai serve as the leading colleges, while seven domestic vocational colleges—including Tourism College of Zhejiang — are the inaugural members. Together, they will establish a collaborative model featuring “dual leadership from China and New Zealand, with participation from multiple colleges.”
In the thematic discussion session, representatives from China and New Zealand interpreted the China-New Zealand vocational-undergraduate articulation overseas study policy and shared practical achievements in construction of talent training systems and student evaluation systems, providing valuable practical experience for the professional construction and the improvement of talent training quality. The participants put forward constructive suggestions and jointly identified four core work directions for 2026: joint talent cultivation, shared teaching resources, faculty exchange visits and training, and industry-education collaboration, initially formulating the annual work plan of the sub-committee.
This conference was held to fully implement the Memorandum of Cooperation on the Establishment of the China-New Zealand Vocational Education Development Alliance, signed in August 2023 under the witness of the Ministers of Education of China and New Zealand. In November of the same year, the two sides held a preparatory meeting of the alliance in Chengdu, deciding to establish seven professional sub-committees including tourism, and designating our college and Ara Institute of Canterbury (South Island of New Zealand) as the leading colleges of the Tourism and Pan-Service Industry Sub-Committee, with the specific domestic work to be carried out by School of Tourism, QTC.
The establishment of the sub-committee marks an important step in the systematic and professional construction of the China-New Zealand Vocational Education Development Alliance, building an exclusive platform for vocational education exchanges and cooperation in the Tourism and Pan-Service Industry between the two countries. This not only affirms QTC’s achievements in international education, but also provides a vital opportunity to further advance the development of tourism-related programs, elevate the level of industry-education integration, and boost our international influence. Going forward, in accordance with its constitution, the sub-committee will leverage the exemplary role of the lead college, connect with all member colleges, deepen mutual learning in international education and industry-education integration, jointly cultivate high-caliber international technical and skilled talents, and collectively drive the high-quality development of vocational education and the tourism industry in both China and New Zealand.
