China and Kazakhstan have reached a formal agreement on the first Ban-Mo Academy project, marking a new step in vocational education and industry cooperation between the two countries.

The agreement was signed between Kazakhstan's Satbayev University and Shandong Vocational and Technical University of Engineering, following talks facilitated by the China-SCO Technology Innovation Cooperation Center in Qingdao.

The Ban-Mo Academy, a vocational education initiative established by Shandong province, takes its name from Lu Ban, an ancient Chinese craftsman, and Mozi, a philosopher and thinker known for his interest in science and technology. The program combines vocational training with Chinese-language education and is designed to train skilled professionals overseas.

The Kazakhstan project will focus on the new-energy machinery sector. Under a proposed university-academy-industry model, the two universities will work with companies to integrate vocational training with applied research and real-world industrial needs.

Satbayev University is one of Kazakhstan's leading technical universities, with strengths in energy, mechanical engineering and green technologies. Its Chinese partner specializes in vocational education in fields including intelligent manufacturing and new-energy vehicles.

The Qingdao-based China-SCO Technology Innovation Cooperation Center and a China-Kazakhstan joint-venture automaker are expected to participate in the project's implementation phase. The partners will draw up a roadmap for the project and deepen cooperation in talent training, technology development and industrial applications.