Officials and workers from China and Egypt take the first ride on Egypt's first light rail transit train. [Photo/Xinhua]
The Nanjing Vocational Institute of Railway Technology in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu province has over the past few years been providing railway training for students from nations along the Belt and Road.
The first group of 18 Egyptian students arrived at the institute in 2018 to study railway traffic operation and management. Today, there are 87 of them pursuing five majors related to the rail industry.
The school has been working with AVIC International, a company affiliated to Aviation Industry Corporation of China, to recruit and educate students. In addition to specialized courses and Chinese language lessons, the two parties also offer training sessions and internships.
One of the graduates from the program later became a driver for Egypt's first electric light rail transit system, which is an important project constructed by China and Egypt under the Belt and Road Initiative. The system commenced its trial run on July 3.
The driver, who graduated in 2021, said he gained knowledge and new friends during his three years at the school. The training sessions and internship experiences provided by Nanjing Metro and Shenzhen Metro also helped him to better understand the industry and hone his skills.
Qian Jikui, a Party official of the Nanjing Vocational Institute of Railway Technology, said the school has admitted students from more than 10 countries along the Belt and Road since 2012, and over 300 of them have returned to their home country to build railways.
