On the afternoon of October 17, the graduation ceremony for the second cohort of international students from the South Africa Silk Road School (South Africa-China Institute of Digital Technology) of Zhejiang Industry & Trade Vocational College (ZJITC) was successfully held in the Multi-Functional Hall of Building 1 at the Fudong Road Campus in Wenzhou, East China’s Zhejiang province. Wang Yan, Vice President of ZJITC, attended the event. Also present were Xiahou Jun, Director of the International Cooperation and Exchange Office and Dean of the School of International Education, Chen Suilei, Dean of the School of International Business and Trade, Xu Xiaobin, Deputy Director of the Academic Affairs Office, Wei Zhenfeng, Deputy Dean of the School of International Business and Trade, Zhu Yangqiong, Deputy Dean of the School of International Education, and Xu Mengyang, General Manager of Wenzhou Gucang Digital Trade Park, along with relevant teaching faculty and 13 international students from South Africa. The ceremony was hosted by Zhu Yangqiong, Deputy Dean of the School of International Education.
In his speech, Wang Yan extended warm congratulations to the South African students who had successfully completed their studies. He noted that ZJITC has actively integrated domestic and overseas industrial parks and enterprise resources to create a high-quality teaching environment and rich practical platforms for international students. Against the backdrop of economic and trade cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, both ZJITC and the South Africa Silk Road School have jointly written a vivid chapter of international industry-education collaboration under the “Park–School–Park” model, a training approach that links learning at domestic digital trade parks, the college, and overseas industrial parks. The students not only systematically studied courses such as Cross-border E-commerce Operations, but also paid field visits to industrial parks including Wenzhou Gucang Digital Trade Park, Wanyang Innovation and Entrepreneurship Park (Wanyang Zhongchuangcheng), and China (Wenzhou) Digital Security Port, and carried out in-depth exchanges with enterprises such as Delixi Group, Wenzhou Shanhai Supply Chain, and Wenzhou Lingsu Robot. By participating in activities such as the China-South Africa cooperation and matchmaking meetings on digital economy and youth entrepreneurship and the China-Africa enterprise partnership events, they expanded their business horizons and created new opportunities for trade and economic cooperation. Meanwhile, some students collaborated with Chinese students in the World Vocational College Skills Competition and won three awards, demonstrating excellent academic achievements. Wang Yan expressed the hope that the students would turn the knowledge, experiences and insights gained at ZJITC into a driving force for personal growth, stronger China-South Africa friendship, and meaningful contributions to society. He also encouraged them to continue to work with Chinese enterprises and ZJITC in the future to pursue broader and deeper cooperation for mutual benefit.
Thembela Mnci, an international student representative, expressed sincere gratitude to ZJITC for its guidance and support. She reviewed the fruitful achievements over the past six months, including academic learning, cultural and sports activities, industrial visits, and business matchmaking events. She said that this experience was one of the most precious experiences in her life. She not only mastered the Chinese language and acquired practical skills in cross-border e-commerce and artificial intelligence, but also gained deep insights into Chinese culture, made many Chinese friends, and expanded trade connections. She added that she would continue to pursue her dreams with this precious experience.
Sumayyah Moses, another international student, applied the skills she had learned in short video editing and Photoshop design to create a wonderful video depicting international student life at ZJITC. The video vividly captured moments of study and everyday life in China, and received warm acclaim from the audience. Lucas Ntshabeleng Chilwane, a graduate of the first cohort and President of the ZJITC South African Alumni Association, also sent a video message in which he shared his own experiences and encouraged his younger schoolmates to cherish the valuable learning opportunities and apply what they have learned to achieve greater development.
Li Xiaochun, faculty representative, affectionately recalled the time spent with the international students and wished them great success in the field of digital trade.
Xu Mengyang, General Manager of Wenzhou Gucang Digital Trade Park, delivered a speech as a representative of corporate mentors. She noted that the practical experience of international students at the park was of great significance, marking a successful transition from classroom learners to industry practitioners. She encouraged them to explore the potential of the African market, promote more high-quality Chinese products in Africa, and bring more distinctive African goods to China, truly achieving the goal of crossing mountains and seas for mutual exchange of needed goods.
The ceremony also featured the presentation of graduation and skill certificates. Chinese and South African students together performed the Chinese folk song “Jasmine Flower”, bringing the graduation ceremony to a perfect close.
