On Aug 6, the Luban Workshop Forum, organized by People's Daily Online, was held in Beijing, bringing together representatives from foreign embassies in China, Luban Workshop partner institutions, Chinese and international partner enterprises, international students and media representatives. The event reviewed a decade of progress made by the Luban Workshops and explored new avenues for international cooperation in vocational education.

Li Yunmei, Party secretary of the college, was invited to lead a delegation to the event. She was joined by the head of the International Exchange and Cooperation Department, key faculty members and student representatives, who travelled to Beijing to showcase their achievements and exchange ideas. The delegation also witnessed the unveiling of the Luban Workshop Pop-up Classroom.

During the event, the college presented a dedicated exhibition centered on its on-campus Luban Workshop Experience Museum, highlighting its work as a key international communication base designated by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee. The exhibition was divided into two sections.

The Smart Manufacturing section featured 3D-printed cultural and creative works made by international students from the Luban Workshop in Egypt, alongside live demonstrations of advanced training projects featuring bipedal and quadrupedal robots. The Traditional Crafts section showcased intangible cultural heritage silk figurines, traditional mortise-and-tenon Luban locks and traditional Chinese round silk fans, alongside products from time-honored Tianjin brands, including Shanhaiguan Soda (historically known as Crystal Limited) and Wanzihong Hand Cream (brand-registered as Blaze of Colour). Together, the exhibits offered a vivid insight into the spirit of Chinese craftsmanship and the distinctive cultural character of Tianjin.

Representatives of diplomatic missions in China, vocational education experts and international students lingered over the exhibits and engaged with the displays. They spoke highly of the practical impact of the college's Luban Workshops in developing skilled talent overseas and supporting industrial upgrading in partner countries.

At the "Luban Stories" session, Party Secretary Li Yunmei shared the college's experience in developing the Luban Workshop in Egypt. She noted that the college has been deeply engaged in the project, aligning training closely with local industry needs while pioneering an integrated pathway for international students from secondary vocational education through higher vocational education, undergraduate study and master's degrees. The success stories of Egyptian students who have gone on to become engineers offer a vivid illustration of the core mission of the Luban Workshop initiative: empowering through skills, uniting through understanding.

Li also stated that the college would continue to use the Luban Workshop Experience Museum as a hub for international communication, sharing the stories of China's vocational education going global and further deepening practical cooperation between China and its international partners.

The Luban Workshop Pop-up Classroom is designed to go wherever it is needed, bringing skills training directly to schools, businesses and vocational training sites in China and overseas, and turning professional theory into practical, hands-on learning experiences.

Building on the college's years of experience and the strengths of the Experience Museum, the college will support the operation of the Pop-up Classroom and further expand opportunities to share Chinese technical skills and the spirit of craftsmanship.

Moving forward, the college will continue to strengthen coordination between the Luban Workshop and the Experience Museum, enrich exhibition content, enhance interactive experiences and participate regularly in national-level exchange events, contributing to strengthening the Luban Workshop's international standing as a vocational education brand.