On November 6, 2025, Nanjing Institute of Technology hosted the Seminar on Cultivating Top-Quality Applied Talents at the Zheng He College of Nanjing Institute of Technology-Osh State University. The event was attended by a delegation led by Kozhobekov Kudaiberdi, Rector of Osh State University in Kyrgyzstan. Together with representatives from the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Education, industry professionals, and experts and scholars from multiple peer institutions, the participants engaged in in-depth discussions on China-Central Asia educational cooperation and the future development of Zheng He College. University leaders present at the seminar included Sun Aiwu, Chair of the University Council; Zhang Yangfei, Deputy Chair of the University Council and President; Pu Lijie, Deputy Chair of the University Council; as well as Vice Presidents Wang Qun, Zhu Songqing, and Chen Jianhua, all members of the university Standing Committee. The seminar was chaired by Pu Lijie.
In his opening remarks, Zheng Xing, Third-Level Investigator of the Division of International Cooperation and Exchange of the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Education, noted that Zheng He College represents a significant initiative by Jiangsu universities to advance educational openness and deepen education cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. He expressed hope that NJIT would further strengthen the integration of industry and education as well as university-enterprise collaboration to cultivate more localized talent for “going global” enterprises, thereby establishing a model for China-Kyrgyzstan education cooperation.
Zhang Yangfei emphasized that 2025 marks a “critical year” for the development of Zheng He College. By focusing on areas of strength such as data science, artificial intelligence, and new energy, the college has achieved systematic progress in its development: the joint training mode has been continuously optimized, a “Chinese + Professional” textbook system has been successfully established, and a significant upgrade in research platforms has been realized with the official launch of the “Central Asia Renewable Energy Development Research Center.” Moving forward, NJIT will strive to expand the scale, strengthen the platforms, and enhance the quality of Zheng He College, transforming it into a demonstration brand for China-Central Asia strategic cooperation.
Kozhobekov Kudaiberdi expressed gratitude for the arrangements made by the Chinese side and highly commended the achievements of Nanjing Institute of Technology in cultivating applied talents. He hoped that the two institutions would further deepen cooperation in curriculum development, faculty exchanges, and research collaboration in fields such as artificial intelligence, big data, and renewable energy, jointly cultivating international engineering and technical talents to meet contemporary demands.
Zhu Yongzhen, General Manager of Jiangsu Phoenix Vocational Education Publishing Co., Ltd., congratulated both institutions on the fruitful outcomes of their cooperation. He stated that Phoenix Vocational Education would deepen collaborative innovation, create a “Chinese + Professional + Cultural + Digital Intelligence” resource system, promote the export of standards and the integration of industry and education, and support Zheng He College in becoming an educational benchmark with influence across Central Asia.
During the seminar, NJIT and OSU jointly unveiled the plaque for the “Central Asia Renewable Energy Development Research Center.” Sun Aiwu presented Kozhobekov Kudaiberdi with a letter of appointment as an honorary professor. The event also featured a launch and book donation ceremony for the “Chinese + Professional” textbooks of Zheng He College. Zhu Songqing and Chen Jianhua presented the textbooks and honorary certificates to representatives of Osh State University and the international textbook compilation team.
During the thematic report session, experts and scholars from Wuhan University, Nanjing Vocational Institute of Transport, Nanjing Juli Holding Group Co., Ltd., Osh State University, and NJIT exchanged insights on topics such as energy cooperation, the cultivation of internationalized transportation talents, and corporate overseas practices, providing theoretical and practical references for the development of Zheng He College.
During their visit, the delegation from Osh State University engaged in professional exchanges with the School of Mathematics and Physics, the School of Computer Engineering, the School of Communications and Artificial Intelligence, the School of Integrated Circuits, and the School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. They also participated in “PC5E” curriculum teaching training, observed innovation and entrepreneurship competitions, and discussed curriculum design and teaching standards for the “2+2” joint degree program. Additionally, the two institutions jointly organized the “China-Kyrgyzstan Underwater Robotics Design and Deep-Sea Exploration Innovation Workshop,” showcasing Zheng He College’s achievements in interdisciplinary and cross-cultural teaching.
This seminar represents a key initiative in the development of Zheng He College, marking NJIT’s transition from exchanges and interactions to substantive operations and from single projects to systematic cooperation in overseas education. In the future, the two institutions will continue to follow the development path of “education aligning with industry output and integrating industry with education,” jointly building a high-quality platform for educational cooperation in Central Asia and contributing to cultural exchanges and regional development between China and Kyrgyzstan.
