2026 World Vocational, Technical Education Development Conference opens in Tianjin

The 2026 World Vocational and Technical Education Development Conference opened Friday in China's Tianjin, drawing representatives from more than 70 countries and regions to chart the future of vocational and technical education.

The event is co-hosted by China's Ministry of Education (MOE), the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO and the Tianjin municipal government, and will run through Saturday.

Under the theme "co-embracing change, co-forging standards, co-creating the future for technical and vocational education and training (TVET)," the conference features four parallel sessions for South and Southeast Asia, Central Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas, aiming to build consensus on vocational education development across regions and find the greatest common ground for cooperation.

"Coming to this event, we get to meet many experts from Chinese schools and institutions and exchange new technical experience. I think this is quite important," said Dolgikh Olga Mikhailovna, director of the China-Russia program at the Russian Institute for the Development of Professional Education (FIRPO).

The conference will officially release the world's first "Framework of World Vocational and Technical Education Standards," developed under China's leadership, to boost international exchanges and cooperation in vocational education.

Based on China's vocational education practices and drawing on the experience of countries around the world, the framework covers key areas of global concern in vocational education, including values, systems, governance, support and measures, according to the MOE.

During the conference, events including a thematic exhibition on China's vocational education and the finals of the World Vocational College Skills Competition will also be held.

2026 World Vocational, Technical Education Development Conference opens in Tianjin

As the sweet-scented osmanthus flowers reach full bloom in Pucheng County, east China's Fujian Province -- known as "China's hometown of osmanthus" -- the region is experiencing a surge in tourism and a thriving flower-processing industry.

A thousand-year-old osmanthus tree located in Linjiang Town has become a major draw, attracting visitors from across the country.

Tourist Wu expressed delight at the experience.

"On the way to Pucheng, the plants lining both sides are all osmanthus trees -- it was such a pleasant surprise. When the wind blows, it carries a sweet fragrance, making me very much refreshed and happy," said a tourist surnamed Wu.

The blooming period is also a harvest season. In Pucheng's Xianyang Town, workers are busy collecting osmanthus flowers to produce this year's osmanthus tea.

Beyond tea, the orange osmanthus flowers are processed into various specialty products including osmanthus honey and pastries. The local industry now spans seedling cultivation, fresh flower harvesting, scented tea processing, and cultural tourism, forming an integrated supply chain that extends well beyond sightseeing.

Osmanthus blooms in Pucheng, fueling tourism, economy