Graduates head home to guide next generation of transport professionals

Lamphone Thipmala headed home to Vientiane on Aug 2, ready to embark on her next educational journey after completing 18 months of study at Kunming Railway Vocational Technical College.

Before departing Southwest China's Yunnan province capital for the Laotian capital, the new graduate posted a farewell picture on her WeChat moments with the caption "Bye bye, Kunming!"

She was among 40 Laotian trainees selected by the Laotian education ministry to study Chinese and railway technology at the school.

After returning to Laos, the trainees will become instructors at the newly established Laotian Railway Vocational Technical College, and nurture the country's future railway professionals.

"It takes only 10 hours on the train from Vientiane to Kunming (via the China-Laos Railway). The railway has boosted the economy and movements of people along the line, and is an important corridor for cargo and passengers and friendly relations between China and Laos," Lamphone said.

"The operation of the China-Laos Railway needs a large number of rail professionals and I am keen to be a part of it."

To help develop railway professionals in Laos, China assisted its neighbor in building the Laotian Railway Vocational Technical College in Vientiane.

The campus is expected to be completed this month. It's not known when the school will begin to enroll students.

Kunming Railway Vocational Technical College is responsible for helping the new school to develop an overall education plan, including setting up departments, drafting textbooks, training instructors and designing curriculums.

To train local instructors, the Laotian education ministry sent 40 trainees to Kunming to study railway-related information and Chinese for two years.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, their classes were online for the first six months.

In the next five years, teachers from Kunming Railway Vocational Technical College will be sent to the school to offer assistance in areas such as running the school and organizing teaching activities.

"The 40 Laotian trainees will be the first group of railway instructors in Laos. I hope they can take what they have learned here to their motherland, to help their country in nurturing more railway professionals," said Li Ruilin, head of Kunming Railway Vocational Technical College.

Cun Min, deputy head of the department of commerce in Yunnan, said it was not easy for the trainees to come to study in China during the pandemic.

"They arrived in March and July last year. The 32 participants who arrived in March were the first group of foreigners to enter China via the land port in Yunnan since the pandemic began," she said.

"We ensured the best teaching resources and arranged the finest teachers to guide the students. We also arranged field trips in Yunnan and to Beijing to further enrich their understanding of China and the country's railway development. They visited sites such as the China Railway Museum and Beijing Jiaotong University," she said.

The trainees have treasured the opportunities and overcome cultural and language barriers during their studies.

"It is a great opportunity for me. After I return to Laos, I can pass on what I learned in China to more Laotian students," said Sengsuly Basysouk, a 26-year-old trainee, who has a background in electrical engineering.

"Although I missed my home while I was in China, I thought it was worth it for my personal and career development in the future," he said.

Another trainee, Chanthavong Bouangeurn, said her schedule at school was always full.

"I got up in the morning and went to class, which usually ended at noon. After a two-hour break, I went to class again and the afternoon session often ended at 4 pm. I usually returned to the classroom to study at 6 pm. The lessons were quite challenging," the 35-year-old said, adding that she is determined to train professional railway talents in Laos, so she worked very hard.

"With the opening of the China-Laos Railway, Laos now has an advanced railway, linking it to the world. China has not only helped us to build a railway, but also assisted in building a professional technical school to train railway talents," she said.

The 1,035-kilometer China-Laos Railway, which commenced operations on Dec 3, 2021, is a landmark infrastructure project of the Belt and Road Initiative. It has turned Laos from a landlocked country into a land-linked hub.

In April, the line opened to international passengers and travelers can now commute between Kunming and Vientiane in 10 hours by train.

"I will take my mom and dad, as well as sisters and friends to visit China, especially Kunming. I will strongly recommend to my friends to take the Lancang bullet train to see my school," graduate Lamphone said.

Shi Wenzhi contributed to this story.