Kalkidan is studying information and telecommunication engineering at the Tianjin University of Technology and Education. "I'm deeply impressed by the vocational education model here, which highlights the close integration of vocational education and industrial needs," she says, adding that she will return to her homeland after graduation to help train more vocational and technical talent.

China has established the world's largest vocational education system, with 11,133 vocational schools and nearly 35 million students enrolled by 2023, according to Peng Binbo, head of the education ministry's department of vocational and adult education.

More than 200 domestic vocational institutions have collaborated with other countries and regions to establish in excess of 400 educational institutions and projects overseas, official statistics show.