Luban Workshop fosters Djibouti's development

As the nation observes the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Luban Workshop, a Chinese international vocational education project, Moustapha Mohamed Mahamoud, Djibouti's minister of national education and vocational training, expressed willingness to expand cooperation.

"We share a very close cooperative relationship with China. As I mentioned before, we have learned from China's professional expertise and benefited from its shared experiences. It is in this regard that we hope to strengthen and deepen our cooperation further," he said during a recent visit to the Tianjin Railway Technical and Vocational College.

Launched by the city of Tianjin in 2016, the international cooperation initiative has to date established 38 workshops across 32 countries. Over the past decade, these workshops have trained more than 30,000 degree students and over 160,000 non-degree students globally.

The first Luban Workshop in Africa was inaugurated in Djibouti in 2019. It was co-established by TRTVC, Tianjin First Commercial School, Djibouti Industrial and Commercial School, and China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation.

Djiboutian President Ismail Omar Guelleh once referred to the establishment of the Luban Workshop in his country as "the best gift that China has given to Djibouti".

During a recent forum in Tianjin commemorating the initiative's 10th anniversary, held alongside the World Vocational and Technical Education Development Conference 2026, Chinese Minister of Education Huai Jinpeng mentioned the Djibouti Luban Workshop twice in his speech. He underscored that "President Xi Jinping attaches great importance to the high-quality development of Luban Workshops and has placed high expectations on their success".

As one of the early landmark achievements of the "Eight Major Initiatives" under the framework of China-Africa cooperation, the Djibouti Luban Workshop offers four academic specializations: Railway Engineering Technology, Rail Transport Operations Management, Logistics Management, and International Trade.

As of the end of 2025, the Djibouti Luban Workshop had trained 335 students and over 270 instructors, in addition to providing training to numerous employees of the Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway.

Ibrahim Ismael Ali, an inspector specializing in civil and railway projects with Djibouti's Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training, highlighted the workshop's role in fostering technical expertise.

"Thanks to the long-term collaboration with the Luban Workshop, Djibouti's young generation now possesses the skills and capabilities required to engage in large-scale infrastructure and civil engineering projects," he said.

Under the influence of the workshop, Djibouti's railway engineering technology program has evolved from a single focus on line maintenance to the cultivation of versatile professionals skilled in civil engineering and topographical surveying.

New courses, including reinforced concrete experiments, materials testing, advanced AutoCAD modeling, and digital drafting, have also been added to the curriculum, according to the TRTVC.

In September, 10 trainees from Djibouti completed a 109-day rail transport training program in Tianjin. They have since progressed to study at Tianjin Sino-German University of Applied Sciences, part of an initiative to nurture local backbone faculty members for Djibouti's vocational education system.

"Djiboutian youth, after receiving training at the Luban Workshop, are now capable of imparting China's technical expertise to society in Djibouti, better contributing to the country's economic and social development," Mahamoud said.

Looking ahead, Djibouti seeks to expand the scope of its Luban Workshop collaboration to include fields such as renewable energy, modern logistics, industrialization, robotics, digital technology, and mechatronics — key sectors that align with the nation's developmental priorities, Mahamoud said.

"During my year of study in China, I learned so much," said Djibouti Luban Workshop graduate Abdoul-Majid Mahamad Hussein, as he reflected on his experience.

"The excellent and mature Chinese vocational education system has equipped me with skills and cultural knowledge that I can now pass on to more people in Djibouti."

Hu Yang and Jiang Jie contributed to this story.

yandongjie@chinadaily.com.cn