The Seychelles Institute of Technology (SIT) will benefit from the expertise of the Jining Polytechnic in China through a newly signed partnership agreement.

The two institutions signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Wednesday in a joint ceremony held at the Ministry of Education and the Jining Polytechnic in China through an online connection.  

The MOU was signed by the director of the SIT, Hubert Barbe, and the secretary of the Jining Polytechnic Party Committee, Gao Guangli, with the general manager of the CIIC International Education Technology, Duan Xiaofei, the other partner in the agreement.

"One of the main objectives of this agreement is that it binds Jining Polytechnic and SIT to jointly develop professional teaching standards, curriculum standards, and online courses that reflect the advantages and characteristics of Jining Polytechnic and meet the actual needs of Seychelles," said Barbe.

The Seychelles Institute of Technology is a technical and vocational education and training institution set up in 2015 under the aegis of the Ministry of Education.

At the moment, SIT offers students programmes ranging from certificate to advanced diploma level, in areas such as mechanical engineering, telecommunications, information technology, and automotive engineering, among others.

Under the agreement, in the next six years, Jining will be able to offer its expertise to train teachers and also help with training programmes, starting with the diploma in automotive engineering.

The agreement will last for six years and will also provide opportunities for staff exchange programmes between the two institutions.

The Jining Polytechnic is a full-time state-run general vocational college established in October 2000 with the approval of the People's Government of Shandong Province.

The China International Intellectech Group, set up in 1987, is a backbone enterprise managed by the central government and its headquarters is in Beijing. The group mainly engages in human resources and intellectual services, with a service network covering 300 cities in China.