The 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) is being held in Beijing from Sept. 4 to 6. The summit's theme is "Joining Hands to Advance Modernization and Build a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future.” President Xi Jinping, UN Secretary General Guterres, and heads of the state from non-member countries of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, including Botswana, Cameroon, and South Africa, attended the summit. Since its establishment, the Base for Global Leadership Development at the International Centre for Engineering Education under the auspices of UNESCO (ICEE) has actively responded to the call of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, supporting and participating in the development and construction efforts of African countries.

Occupational health and safety training site of Botswana North to South Water Diversion project training site

From late 2023 to mid-2024, the ICEE Global Leadership Development Base, in collaboration with its global partner China Harbor Engineering Co., Ltd., facilitated vocational skills training for local engineering and technical personnel in Botswana, a country in southern Africa. The training spanned 21 days, totaling 168 class hours, and benefited 345 participants. The program covered a wide range of topics, including crane operation, occupational health and safety, fire safety, first aid, construction site safety, operation of construction machinery, and scaffolding installation.

The Botswana engineers and technicians who participated in the training stated that the content was engaging and closely aligned with real-world scenarios. They expressed that the training effectively and comprehensively improved their engineering skills and professional qualifications, contributing to their personal growth. The trainees also expressed their sincere gratitude to the ICEE Global Leadership Development Base and the project contractor, China Harbour Engineering Co., Ltd.

The Botswana North to South Water Diversion Project was undertaken by China Harbor Engineering Co., Ltd. The training was supported by the Botswana Government's training fund and conducted in connection with the North to South Water Diversion Project, in response to the government's requirement to strengthen the training of local skilled personnel. It was highly praised by the project owners and various sectors of society, playing a positive role in promoting engineering education in Africa. As Yuan Si, the Executive Director of ICEE, summarized, the ICEE Global Leadership Development Base represents a "broad practice-based engineering education model throughout the entire life cycle" that fosters engineering practice through education and achieves educational goals through engineering practice, serving as an extension of engineering education.