Aidyn Yerbossyn points to his expanding waistline as proof of his affection for Urumqi. "I must have put on 20 kilograms since being here," he says, laughing. "It shows just how much I like this place."

Yerbossyn, 22, has devoured local food such as Xinjiang's celebrated dapanji (big-plate chicken) and spicy hotpot with the same gusto that he has applied to his studies. The student, from ALT University in Almaty, Kazakhstan, is now advancing his skills at Urumqi Vocational University within the framework of the Luban Workshop, China's international vocational education project. The third Luban Workshop in Kazakhstan was officially unveiled at his alma mater on Nov 1. This new facility was co-constructed by the two universities on the foundation of their existing Silk Road Workshop.

Strategic choice

The partnership with Urumqi Vocational University was a strategic choice, says Meruyert Zharmagambetova, rector of ALT University.

"The geographical location is great, providing convenient and comfortable conditions for the exchanges of our students and professors, while also facilitating exchanges and collaboration on high-quality educational projects.

"The Luban Workshop gives us great opportunities for international cooperation," she says.

Lyu Yi, the acting consul general of China in Almaty, says that as collaboration deepens in infrastructure, logistics and advanced manufacturing, the urgent demand for high-quality technical talent has grown. The collaboration between Urumqi and Almaty represents "precise alignment" with Kazakhstan's industrial needs, aimed at cultivating localized, professional talent and truly realizing the concept of "teaching people how to fish", Lyu says.

For Yerbossyn, fishing for skills began by immersing himself in the deep educational waters that Urumqi offers. His integration into local life has been just as deep. On weekends, he joins Chinese friends to play Sichuan mahjong or teams up in the mobile game Honor of Kings. He has even become a fan of Chinese talk shows, particularly those by the comedian Li Xueqin. These shows helped him master the complex art of homophonic puns, a linguistic nuance that initially baffled him. "I didn't know what a homophonic pun was before," Yerbossyn says. "After watching talk shows, I realized, 'Ah, so that's how you play with words.'"

This cultural fluency validates Lyu's observation that as more Kazakh youth experience China's development of vocational education firsthand, it holds "far-reaching significance" for enhancing mutual understanding and friendship between the next generations.

Yerbossyn is now mastering cross-border e-commerce, supply chain management, and logistics. Thanks to the Luban Workshop, he says, he has mastered "real, useful skills". "The curriculum has equipped me with a dual understanding of international trade rules and the market demands of both countries, broadening my global vision."

His approach is intensely practical. Hu Jia'nan, a logistics instructor at Urumqi Vocational University, says that this drive is obvious to the faculty.

During training, students frequently ask a single, defining question: "Can this be used in Kazakhstan?" This query reflects the students' clear learning goals and specific demand for new technologies, Hu says. Responding to this thirst for knowledge, the university employs a system designed to bridge the gap between theory and application, ensuring students understand exactly how their professional knowledge applies to specific jobs in the real world.

Tang Xiaobing, Party secretary of Urumqi Vocational University, says the workshop relies on a degree education plus skills training model. By targeting key sectors such as industry and logistics, the program is helping with Kazakhstan's economic transformation. "It significantly enhances employment competitiveness … and increases their family income levels," Tang says.

Tang outlines plans for an Industrial Robot Technology Center to train 200 technically talented people a year, alongside an International Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Incubation Center.

Business guidance

"We aim to provide business guidance and incubate five to eight startup projects a year," Tang says, adding that digitizing teaching resources and training localized teachers will ensure the project's long-term vitality.

Lyu sees the Luban Workshop as an exemplar of Chinese vocational education going global.

"From language instruction and degree education to today's high-level vocational collaboration focused on industrial needs, Sino-Kazakh education cooperation is striding from quantitative expansion to qualitative improvement."

Yerbossyn says he plans to pursue postgraduate studies at a key Chinese university, but when he enters the workforce he aims to return to Almaty. He views the city as the ideal hub for import and export across the five Central Asian countries, where he can draw on his new skills to reduce costs and improve efficiency. He is so convinced of the program's value that he invited his best friend to join him in Urumqi and encouraged his younger sister to attend university in Shanghai. "Because of the Luban Workshop, I am who I am today," Yerbossyn says. He views himself as a bridge between Kazakhstan and China, hoping that their friendship will extend well beyond education into many other fields.

Fang Aiqing and Shao Xinying contributed to this story.