On the morning of September 24, Dr. Syed Harun, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of National Development of Singapore; Ms. Lim Jia Ying, Senior Manager of the Higher Education Policy Division at the Ministry of Education; Mr. Tan Chee King, Consul-General of the Consulate-General of the Republic of Singapore in Shanghai; Ms. Soon Yi Rui, Vice-Consul (Political); together with Mr. Russell Chan, Principal and CEO of Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP), led a delegation to SUCC’s Fengxian Campus to attend the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between SUCC and NYP. The delegation was warmly received by Mr. Zhang Zhengrong, President of SUCC, and Ms. Guo Hongtao, Vice President. Heads of the International Cooperation Division, the Academic Affairs Office, the School of Health & Social Care, the School of Food & Tourism, the School of Architecture & Environment Art, the School of Business Administration, and the School of Application of Artificial Intelligence participated in the meeting, which was chaired by Vice President Guo Hongtao.

    During the meeting, President Zhang Zhengrong provided a detailed introduction to SUCC’s background, educational achievements, and the progress of China–Singapore cooperation in vocational education. He noted that the 48th WorldSkills Competition is currently being held in Shanghai, and that Shanghai, as a frontier window of China’s opening-up, bears an important mission of promoting international exchange and mutual learning in vocational education. He pointed out that Singapore’s vocational education enjoys a global reputation, and that Nanyang Polytechnic is a benchmark institution in the field of vocational education worldwide, whose philosophy of industry–education integration and practice-oriented education offers valuable experience to draw upon. On this basis, he expressed the hope that the two sides would conduct in-depth collaboration on jointly developing academic programmes, mutual visits of faculty and students, sharing of teaching resources, and research on practical training models, so as to complement each other’s strengths.

    Mr. Russell Chan introduced NYP’s educational philosophy and its industry–enterprise cooperation, noting that, in the face of technological development and industrial transformation, Nanyang Polytechnic is actively exploring the use of artificial intelligence to empower education and industry. He reviewed the student exchange and short-term delegation programmes previously carried out between the two institutions, spoke positively of the outcomes of such cooperation, and expressed the hope that this signing would serve as a new starting point to further expand collaboration in areas such as faculty development and AI talent cultivation.

    Witnessed by Dr. Syed Harun and other guests from both China and Singapore, Mr. Zhang Zhengrong and Mr. Russell Chan formally signed the Memorandum of Understanding on behalf of the two institutions. Following the signing ceremony, both sides exchanged commemorative gifts and posed for a group photograph, jointly marking this memorable occasion.

    During the campus tour, the delegation watched a performance by SUCC’s dragon dance team, then viewed a distinctive demonstration of traditional Chinese medicine physiotherapy at the School of Health & Social Care. SUCC’s visually impaired students also showcased their proficient massage skills to the visiting guests.

    The successful visit and MOU signing represent an important outcome of the friendly exchanges between the two institutions and mark the opening of a brand-new chapter in their cooperation. Building on the signing, both institutions will pragmatically advance cooperation in mutual visits of faculty and students, joint programme development, and sharing of teaching resources, further deepen exchange and collaboration in the field of vocational education between China and Singapore, jointly explore new pathways for cultivating technical and skilled talent in the new era, and contribute vocational education strength to enhancing educational and cultural exchanges between the two countries.