13/05/2026
Sierra Leone "Excellence Skills Academy" First Cohort Training Completion Ceremony & "Talk to China" China–Sierra Leone Youth Exchange Dialogue Successfully Held
Local time on May 8, 2026, the Sierra Leone "Excellence Skills Academy" First Cohort Training Completion Ceremony & "Talk to China" China–Sierra Leone Youth Exchange Dialogue was grandly held at Freetown Polytechnic.
This event served not only as an important initiative to deepen China–Sierra Leone educational cooperation and promote cross-cultural integration under the framework of the China–Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges, but also as a major showcase of the achievements of CREC’s “Youth Bridge” Initiative in Sierra Leone.
The ceremony brought together more than one hundred participants, including distinguished guests and young trainees. Key attendees included Mr. Wang Peng, Counselor in charge of commercial and economic cooperation of the Chinese Embassy in Sierra Leone; Dr. Haja Ramatulai Wurie, Hon. Minister of Technical and Higher Education of Sierra Leone; as well as representatives from China Railway Seventh Group Co., Ltd., Freetown Polytechnic, and Zhengzhou Railway Technician College, marking a significant milestone in China-Sierra Leone cooperation.
Vocational Training Delivers Tangible Results
Wang Peng, Counselor in charge of commercial and economic cooperation of the Chinese Embassy in Sierra Leone, extended warm congratulations on the success of the project in his address. He emphasized that the Excellence Skills Academy is a solid achievement of China-Sierra Leone cooperation. All qualified graduates of the first cohort have been employed by China Railway Seventh Group, truly realizing “seamless transition from graduation to employment”. He noted that this is a vivid illustration of the theme of the 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges: Strengthening All-Weather Friendship and Pursuing a Shared Vision of Modernization, proving that vocational skills can transform lives and that cooperation can create hope.
Hon. Dr. Haja Ramatulai Wurie, Minister of Technical and Higher Education of Sierra Leone, described the graduation ceremony as a success of national significance in her address. She noted that technical and vocational skills training is central to meeting the country’s economic needs, especially in key sectors critical to national development priorities such as construction and engineering. She commended China Railway Seventh Group for making a lasting contribution to the lives of Sierra Leonean youth and affirmed that this graduation is not an end, but the beginning of even greater success.
In his address, Dr. Samba Moriba, Principal of Freetown Polytechnic, stated that this graduation ceremony is an important contribution to national youth employment and skills empowerment. He noted that the Excellence Skills Academy provides practical opportunities using state-of-the-art teaching and learning equipment, enabling students to gain industry-relevant experience. He praised the graduates for having “acquired advanced technical skills” and being well-prepared to contribute to national development. He encouraged the students to apply the knowledge gained during the training to help shape the country’s future.
Mr. Wu Wei, Principal of Zhengzhou Railway Technician College, delivered a speech via video. He extended warm congratulations to all graduates and pledged that the college will continue to leverage its professional strengths, share advanced experience in China’s vocational education, provide solid support for improving the teaching quality of the Excellence Skills Academy and deepening the joint vocational skills training for Chinese and Sierra Leonean youth.
Mr. Feng Tao, Representative of the Overseas Company of China Railway Seventh Group Co., Ltd., stated in his speech that the Academy is an important milestone in China-Sierra Leone vocational education cooperation, and the first batch of qualified trainees have been offered employment opportunities by the enterprise. In the future, China Railway Seventh Group will continue to commit itself to building the Excellence Skills Academy into a higher-quality, more dynamic, and sustainable vocational education brand.
At the ceremony, distinguished guests jointly presented Graduate Certificates and Employment Certificates to student representatives, and awarded honorary certificates to eight Outstanding Graduates. Representatives of the outstanding graduates shared their learning experiences and growth insights in their speeches, and expressed sincere gratitude for the valuable opportunities provided by both the Chinese and Sierra Leonean sides.
Youth Dialogue: Jointly Building a Bridge of China-Sierra Leone Friendship
After the graduation ceremony, the "Talk to China" China-Sierra Leone Youth Exchange Dialogue was held immediately afterward with the theme Skills for a Brighter Future, Dialogue for Stronger Friendship.
Seven youth representatives participated in the activity, including student representatives from the Excellence Skills Academy, Chinese and Sierra Leonean young employees of China Railway Seventh Group, teachers and students from Freetown Polytechnic, young diplomats of the Chinese Embassy in Sierra Leone, and young officials from the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education of Sierra Leone. They had lively engaged in lively exchanges of ideas and in-depth discussions on such topics as skills and growth, cultural integration and challenges, and youth responsibility and China-Sierra Leone friendship.
The participating youth representatives all agreed that young people hold the future of China-Sierra Leone friendship. They should take the initiative to build communication bridges, promote cross-cultural integration through skills exchange and mutual cultural learning, and contribute the energy and creativity of youth to the development of China-Sierra Leone relations. Following the dialogue session, Hon. Dr. Haja Ramatulai Wurie, Minister of Technical and Higher Education, delivered comments and spoke highly of the vitality and sense of responsibility demonstrated by the younger generation.
Skills Build Dreams, Youth Shape the Future Together. The successful holding of this event not only highlights the fruitful achievements of China-Sierra Leone vocational education cooperation, but also builds a platform for in-depth exchanges between young people of the two countries.
As a demonstration project of international expansion of vocational education under the Belt and Road Initiative and a flagship implementation project of CREC’s Youth Bridge Initiative in Sierra Leone, the Excellence Skills Academy adopts an integrated model linking recruitment, training, and employment of recruitment-training-employment. It further deepens cross-cultural integration, enables vocational skills to become the "wings" for the growth of Chinese and Sierra Leonean youth, and friendship to serve as the "bond" for China-Sierra Leone cooperation. The Academy lights up the path of skills development for Sierra Leonean youth and injects enduring youthful vitality into China-Sierra Leone friendship. CRECXin
