Sino-Lao water resources and hydropower vocational education cooperation enters a new stage of institutionalisation

Against the backdrop of the continuous and profound advancement of the Sino-Lao community with a shared future, vocational education—as a crucial area of educational cooperation between the two nations—plays an increasingly active role in promoting cultural and people-to-people exchanges, supporting industrial development, and cultivating a new generation of talents for the era.

Actively responding to the Belt and Road Initiative, Sichuan Water Conservancy Vocational College and Souphanouvong University of Laos have joined hands to advance the internationalisation of vocational education in the field of water resources and electric power.

On May 27, the signing and plaque-unveiling ceremony of the “Weir Engineer Workshop” project, alongside the launch of the faculty training programme, was held simultaneously across both campuses. This milestone marks the formal entry of both institutions into a phase of substantive cooperation in co-building standards, sharing resources, and co-cultivating talents.

At the ceremony, the Vice Rector of Souphanouvong University, Dr Somchay Phayavong, said the “Weir Engineer Workshop” is a pragmatic project featuring mutual benefit and win-win outcomes. Grounded in the strategic cooperation agreement between the two parties, he proposed four specific cooperative needs:
• Conducting joint student cultivation programmes;
• Establishing short-term training mechanisms for faculty and students;
• Jointly developing curriculum resources and textbooks;
• Continuously advancing faculty training.

The Vice President of Sichuan Water Conservancy Vocational College, Mr Wang Zhuo, pointed out that the “Weir Engineer Workshop” represents a vital practice for the college in serving the construction of the Sino-Lao community with a shared future and deepening Lancang-Mekong vocational education cooperation.

Leveraging the millennia-old water conservancy wisdom of Dujiangyan alongside modern hydraulic technologies, the project aims to establish itself as a benchmark for regional water resources vocational education cooperation.

Witnessed by leaders from both sides, Chinese and Lao representatives held their respective signed agreements for a virtual group photo, while the Lao side held an on-site plaque-unveiling ceremony, joined by the Chinese venue via live video link.
From May 27-29, the inaugural faculty training session of the “Weir Engineer Workshop” was successfully conducted at Souphanouvong University.
Sichuan Water Conservancy Vocational College dispatched Professor Zhang Lei and Associate Professor Chen Rong to Laos to deliver a three-day offline training programme, which was attended throughout by 22 backbone faculty members from Souphanouvong University.
The training modules centred on several key themes:
• The power sector background and renewable energy demands in Laos;
• Grid-tied renewable energy technologies (Inverters, MPPT, energy storage, LVRT, VSG);
• The applicability of Chinese case standards in Laos;
• The Dujiangyan Project and the four traditional weir engineering techniques.

The training adopted an integrated approach of “theoretical lecturing + case analysis + interactive exchange”. Furthermore, the instructional content was tailored to local conditions, specifically addressing unique local scenarios such as Laos’ small grid short-circuit capacity and its high prevalence of islanded operation modes, ensuring that the training was highly practical and readily applicable.
As a “Chinese + Vocational Skills” training base in the water resources and electric power sectors for China and Laos, the “Weir Engineer Workshop” focuses on the fields of water conservancy and hydropower. By jointly developing bilingual teaching standards, co-building curriculum resources, conducting faculty training, and cultivating local technical talents, the workshop serves as a vivid practice of China-Laos educational cooperation and people-to-people connectivity.
Both institutions expressed their commitment to upholding the principle of equality and mutual benefit, driving the steady and sustained progress of the “Weir Engineer Workshop” project, and contributing vocational education strengths to the development of water resources and electric power industries in the Lancang-Mekong region, as well as the construction of the Sino-Lao community with a shared future. 
--Source Wuhan Central Group

By Advertorial Desk
 (Latest Update June 6, 2026)