On July 5th, the opening ceremony of 2023 Electric Locomotive Driver Training for the Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway and the inauguration ceremony of the EDR Human Resource Development and Training Center were held in ZZRVTC. The ceremony was attended by esteemed guests including Guo Shuxiang, Deputy Director of the Equipment Supervision and Management Department of the National Railway Administration; Cao Keshun, Deputy Inspector of the Henan Provincial Education Department; Jiao Kaiju, Deputy Inspector of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Henan Provincial Party Committee; Wang Huaxing, Director of the Department of Foreign Cooperation and Exchanges Division of the Henan Provincial Education Department; Liu Dong, Deputy General Manager of China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation; Peng Danyang, secretary of the Party Committee and General Manager of the Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway Operation and Maintenance Company; Abdi Zenebe Meskala, President of the Ethiopian-Djibouti Standard Gauge Railway Ltd. ( EDR), Hassan Mohammed Kamil, Vice President of EDR. Yang Mingqing, Deputy Minister of the Vocational Training Department of the China Railway Zhengzhou Bureau Group, and other guests were also invited to attend the ceremony. The event was graced by the presence of Tian Daomin, the Secretary of the Party Committee, President Ma Yuxia, Vice President Li Fusheng, responsible persons of the relevant departments, 28 trainees, and some representatives of the faculty members and students who participated in the series of activities. The opening ceremony was presided over by President Ma Yuxia.
Welcome speech by Mr. Tian Daomin, Secretary of the Party Committee
President Ma Yuxia presided over the meeting
Speech by Guo Shuxiang, Deputy Director of the Equipment Supervision and Management Department of the National Railway Administration
Speech by Cao Keshun, Deputy Inspector of the Henan Provincial Education Department 
Speech by Mr. Jiao Kaiju, Deputy Inspector of Foreign Affairs Office of the Henan Provincial Committee
Speech by Mr. Liu Dong, Deputy General Manager of China Civil Engineering Group
Zhengzhou Railway Vocational and Technical College and Ethiopia-Djibouti Standard Gauge Railway Company signed a Memorandum of Cooperation.
Guests jointly launched the EDR Human Resource Development Training Center.
Speech by Peng Danyang, Secretary of the Party Committee and General Manager of Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway Operation and Maintenance Project Company, a participant in the training
Speech by Abdi Zenebe Meskala, Managing Director of the Ethiopian-Djiboutian Standard Gauge Railway (EDR) Ltd., a participant in the training
Speech by Hassan Mohamed Kamil, Vice President of the Ethiopian-Djiboutian Standard Gauge Railway (EDR) Ltd., a participant in the training
Speech by Yang Mingqing, Deputy Director of the Vocational Training Department of the China Railway Zhengzhou Bureau Group
Speech by Mr. Li Fusheng, Vice President
Speech by Gilmar, Representative of the Electric Locomotive Driver Training of the Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway
Visiting the training room
Photo
On behalf of ZZRVTC, Mr. Tian Daomin, Secretary of the Party Committee, extended his warm welcome and gratitude to the leaders and guests present. He emphasized that the Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway is a significant accomplishment in implementing General Secretary Xi Jinping's Ten Cooperation Plans between China and Africa, as well as a landmark project of the Three Networks and One Normalization cooperation and capacity cooperation between China and Africa. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the “Belt and Road” initiative and is a key year of high-quality development in Sino-African cooperation. In this special year, the second batch of the electric locomotive driver training course of the Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway is held at ZZRVTC, reflecting the recognition and trust from all parties to ZZRVTC. ZZRVTC will live up to the trust, actively play its own advantages, summarize the experience of the first batch of training, and complete this training with high quality in order to contribute wisdom and strength to building a more closely linked China-Africa community with a shared future.
Guo Shuxiang, Deputy Director of the Equipment Supervision and Management Department of the National Railway Administration, stated that Zhengzhou Railway Vocational and Technical College organizing this training activity is an important measure for higher vocational colleges to implement the Belt and Road Education Action Plan and promote international industry-education integration and the going global strategy of railway enterprises. We hope that ZZRVTC will further enhance talent nurturing models, effectively meet the human resources needs of enterprises, and nurture high-level electric locomotive drivers. We also hope that trainees will cherish the opportunity, study diligently, apply what they have learned, and contribute to the promotion of China-Africa friendship.
Cao Keshun, Deputy Inspector of the Henan Provincial Education Department, stated that the Henan Provincial Education Department has always supported the provincial universities in conducting educational cooperation with countries along the Belt and Road. It has always also encouraged universities to participate in international cooperation in production capacity and pay close attention to the humanistic exchanges between China and foreign countries in order to learn from each other and benefit from each other, jointly building a Belt and Road educational community and benefiting the countries and people along the line. He also hoped that ZZRVTC would, on the basis of summarizing the experiences of the first batch of 34 electric locomotive drivers who have undergone the directional training, further enhance the level of training and enhance the services so that it will cultivate talents for the cause of transportation in Ethiopia and Djibouti and make a new contribution to the localization of the operation of the Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway.
Jiao Kaiju, Deputy Inspector of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Henan Provincial Party Committee, said that in recent years, Henan Province has actively practiced President Xi Jinping's concept of sincerity, real results, affinity, and good faith in its policies towards Africa. Many enterprises in Henan have invested in Ethiopia to invest and develop their businesses, providing the people with economical and cost-effective Made in China products and services, setting an example for international cooperation with Africa, and contributing to building a closer and higher-level China-Africa community with a shared future. It is hoped that with this event as an opportunity, all parties will continue to build a cooperative mechanism for cooperation and exchanges, support more vocational colleges and enterprises in the two places, deepen investment exchanges, and promote project construction.
Liu Dong, Deputy General Manager of China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, said that the construction and operation of the Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway have strongly promoted the layout of industrial parks and major projects along the line, created an important economic belt, and injected a strong impetus into the economic and social development of Ethiopia and Djibouti. As a member unit of the Belt and Road Railway International Talent Education Alliance, Zhengzhou Railway Vocational and Technical College has trained the first batch of electric locomotive driver trainees for the Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway, who basically acquired the ability to work alone. We believe that there will be more and more local locomotive drivers recruited in the near future, so that the train, which is bearing the light of hope for the revitalization of the country, and the splendid flower of Sino-African friendship, will be able to run on the vast East African plateau in a safe and proper manner.
Peng Danyang, General Manager of the Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway Operation and Maintenance Company, stated that the opening and operation of the Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway have provided a convenient way of traveling for the people from Ethiopia and Djibouti. It has also promoted the rapid growth of the economy of the two countries. Zhengzhou Railway Vocational and Technical College organizes this training, arranges advantageous educational resources, and carefully prepares the courses in order to improve the trainees’ professional skills. It expects the trainees to be diligent in learning, good at thinking, updating their concepts, enhancing their abilities, learning more about China's excellent culture, and contributing to the friendship between China and Ethiopia.
Abdi Zenebe Meskala, President of the Ethiopian-Djibouti Standard Gauge Railway Company Limited (EDR), expressed that the training signifies the ongoing cooperation between China, Ethiopia, and Djibouti in the field of local operation and maintenance capacity of newly built electrified railways. The first batch of 34 electric locomotive drivers trained by Zhengzhou Railway Vocational and Technical College in 2019 is now the backbone of EDR's railway services. This training will provide a valuable opportunity for employees to receive skills training and learn about international practices, with on-site railway work being the best way to provide hands-on education.
Hassan Mohamed Kamil, Vice President of the Ethiopian-Djibouti Standard Gauge Railway Company Limited (EDR), wished the trainees patience in their learning and work. After they successfully complete the training, they will strengthen themselves with practical knowledge and determination.
Yang Mingqing, Vice Minister of the Vocational Training Department of China Railway Zhengzhou Bureau Group Co., Ltd., stated that in 2013, China Railway Zhengzhou Bureau and Henan Provincial Department of Education signed an agreement on joint construction. It partnered with Zhengzhou Railway Vocational and Technical College to expand the school-enterprise cooperation, making positive contributions to the development of the railway industry and the Belt and Road construction. The training of electric locomotive drivers is of great importance to the promotion of humanistic exchanges between China and foreign countries and the sustainable development of the Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway. Zhengzhou Bureau Group Co., Ltd. will give full play to the significant role of enterprises in the cultivation of technical and skilled personnel and HR development and create a good connection with Zhengzhou Railway Vocational and Technical College. It will also optimize further the focus of the internship and internship arrangements and provide the trainees with full-process practical training guidance and on-site services.
In his speech, Vice President Li Fusheng introduced the progress made in the globalization of ZZRVTC. He demonstrated the pragmatic initiatives of ZZRVTC in exploring and innovating new modes of cross-border education, contributing to China's vocational education programs, and spreading China's traditional culture from the aspects of Chinese-foreign cooperative education, bilingual faculty construction, internationalized professional accreditation, cross-border education services, and the construction of the 2 types and 3 sections talent cultivation mode.
Gilmar, the representative of the electric locomotive driver trainees of the Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway, expressed his gratitude to Zhengzhou Railway Vocational and Technical College for preparing such a comprehensive training program. As trainees, they will continue to seek ways to expand their knowledge and enhance their understanding of new technologies in order to obtain a quality education, to serve our country, and to live up to its expectations.
In the presence of all the guests, President Ma Yuxia signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with Ethiopia-Djibouti Standard Gauge Railway on behalf of ZZRVTC. The guests jointly unveiled the plaque for the EDR HR Development and Training Center.
During the visit, the guests were deeply impressed and appreciated the strong experimental and practical training conditions of rail transit specialty of ZZRVTC.
