The People’s Government of Zhejiang Province recently approved the establishment of the ZJITC-Gateway College of Engineering and Technology at Zhejiang Industry & Trade Vocational College (ZJITC). Following the approval of three Sino-foreign cooperative education programs, this marks ZJITC’s first non-independent legal person Sino-foreign cooperative education institution, representing a historic leap in the college’s internationalization efforts, moving from program-based cooperation to institution-based partnership.
Century-Old Institutions Join Hands: A Robust Sino-U.S. Vocational Education Partnership
Founded in 1911, Gateway Technical College is America’s first public technical college and a key member of the Wisconsin Technical College System. It is fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), one of the six major regional accrediting authorities in the United States. Adhering to competency-oriented and project-driven education philosophy, the college boasts nationally recognized advanced training facilities such as the Horizon Transportation Technology Center and the SC Johnson iMET Center. Its curricula are closely aligned with industry needs, and a large number of real-world enterprise projects are integrated into teaching. With an employer satisfaction rate of over 93%, it serves as a model of vocational education in the United States.
Zhejiang Industry & Trade Vocational College is a provincially administered, full-time public higher education institution. It is a national “Double High Plan” institution—part of China’s initiative to develop high-level vocational colleges and programs—and a Zhejiang provincial high-level vocational college. It has received the Outstanding School Award of the Huang Yanpei Vocational Education Award and been recognized as a National Advanced Unit in Vocational Education. The college has won one First Prize and three Second Prizes in the National Teaching Achievement Awards, and has been selected for one National Huang Danian-style Teaching Team and two national teaching innovation teams, ranking among the leading vocational colleges in China. Closely aligned with Zhejiang’s “415X” advanced manufacturing clusters and Wenzhou’s “5+5” trillion-yuan industrial clusters, the college has nine schools, offers 37 higher vocational programs, and enrolls over 14,000 full-time students. The strong complementarity between its three key programs and Gateway’s strengths provides a solid foundation for this cooperation.
Zhang Zhidong, Party Secretary of ZJITC, visited the United States as a member of a Ministry of Education Delegation
Yu Chuang, President of ZJITC, signed an agreement with Gateway Technical College to jointly establish the Sino-foreign cooperative education institution
ZJITC has hosted the Sino-U.S. Young Maker Competition (Wenzhou Division) for ten consecutive years
Steady Progress Paves the Way for Fruitful U.S. Cooperation
ZJITC began its cooperation with U.S. partners in 2016 by hosting the Sino-U.S. Young Maker Competition. Having organized the event for ten consecutive years, it is the only vocational college in China to have received the Ministry of Education’s Best Organization Award, providing a solid platform for Sino-U.S. people-to-people exchange.
In 2022, the Industrial Robot Technology program jointly launched by ZJITC and Gateway Technical College was officially approved and began enrolling students. Over the past three years, enrollment has reached 228 students, and the first cohort of graduates has been widely recognized for strong employment outcomes.
In 2024, cooperation between the two institutions advanced rapidly across all dimension. They co-hosted five sessions of the Sino-U.S. Vocational Education Development Exchange and were selected for the Young Envoys Scholarship (YES) Program for two consecutive years. Party Secretary Zhang Zhidong led a delegation to the United States for exchange visits.
“Perceive Wenzhou · Young Sail at ZJITC”— the 6th Sino‑U.S. Vocational Education Development Exchange (YES Program)
In 2025, at the Sino-U.S. CTE Institution Presidents’ Dialogue hosted by the China Education Association for International Exchange, ZJITC President Yu Chuang signed an agreement with Gateway Technical College to jointly establish a Sino-foreign cooperative education institution, marking a decisive step forward from program-based cooperation to institution-based partnership.
In April 2026, Morgan Phillips, President of Gateway Technical College, visited ZJITC, and the two parties convened the first meeting of the Joint Management Committee.
ZJITC hosted the 2025 Sino-U.S. CTE Institution Presidents' Dialogue
Morgan Phillips, President of Gateway Technical College, visited ZJITC
ZJITC won the Ministry of Education's Best Organization Award for the Sino-U.S. Young Maker Competition from the Ministry of Education
Three Programs Strategically Aligned to Support Regional Industrial Development
In its initial stage, ZJITC-Gateway College of Engineering and Technology offers three programs: Industrial Robot Technology, Software Technology, and Modern Logistics Management. Each program enrolls 40 students per year, with a total planned enrollment of 360 students. All admissions are included in the national higher education enrollment plan.
The first meeting of the Joint Management Committee was held
The ZJITC-Gateway College of Engineering and Technology adopts a “3+0” training model, under which students complete all three years of study at ZJITC. Students who meet graduation requirements will receive a junior college diploma from ZJITC and a course completion certificate from Gateway Technical College. Closely aligned with the development needs of Zhejiang’s “415X” advanced manufacturing clusters and Wenzhou’s “5+5” industrial clusters, the ZJITC-Gateway College introduces advanced U.S. vocational education concepts and high-quality curriculum resources. It aims to address the regional shortage of skilled professionals with global competence and provide solid talent support for Chinese enterprises in their global expansion.
