A Laotian trainee receives course instructions at Kunming Railway Vocational and Technical College in Yunnan province. CHINA DAILY
When Laotian teacher Thammavongsa Sengaloun heard about a railway trainee program in China, he signed up immediately.
Thammavongsa, 38, who used to teach electronics at a vocational technical college in Laos, said: "Learning Chinese is tough, and I have to spend six hours a day on just the language alone, but I'm determined to study hard. I cherish the opportunity to be in China very much."
He is among a pioneer group of 40 Laotian trainees who arrived in Kunming, the capital of Southwest China's Yunnan province, in March under a program to train railway specialists and educators to develop the pillar transportation sector in their home country.
The trainees will learn from Chinese instructors and industry professionals in a two-year course before returning to Laos, where they are then expected to spend at least five years helping to build an education system for the country's railway professionals.
The exchange is part of an arrangement between the two sides under which Chinese assistance to Laos in developing a vocational and technical institution will help with the maintenance and operation of the new China-Laos Railway. The rail line, a landmark project of the Belt and Road Initiative and a flagship project for the bilateral friendship, was rolled out in late 2021 to connect landlocked Laos with China's railway networks and enhance Laos' access to global markets.
The 1,035-kilometer railway runs between Kunming and the Laotian capital, Vientiane. The trip between the two cities takes about 10 hours at speeds reaching 200 km/h.
With the rollout of the railway and supporting projects, Yunnan is poised to become a talent training hub for South and Southeast Asia.
Duan Yubo, director of academic affairs at the Kunming Railway Vocational and Technical College, where the Laotian trainees are studying, said the course material covers six railway majors ranging from locomotives and engineering to power supply and communication signals.
"Through simulation training, they can better master the latest technology of Chinese railways, and they can bring this knowledge back to Laos," he said.
In addition to learning the Chinese language and railway-related vocational skills, the 40 trainees, with the help of Chinese teachers and technicians, will learn how to establish professional standards regarding teaching methods, curriculum and textbooks, for later application in Laos, Duan added.
Li Weiguo, dean of continuing education at the Kunming college, said the 40 Laotian trainees, who range in age from 22 to 40, will become the first teachers of a planned Laos railway vocational and technical college.
"Before the Laotian students came to China, our college hired a professional international Chinese teaching team to start online language teaching," he said.
"After the students arrived, the college also connected them with Chinese students and teachers who speak Laotian to help them integrate into the Chinese learning environment."
