China News Service, Bishkek, October 3. Question: How can China-Kyrgyzstan engineering education find a "common language" in Luban Workshop?
——Exclusive interview with Akilbek Chimerov, Vice-President of Kyrgyzstan National Technical University
China News Service reporter Shan Lu
During the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Bishkek Summit in 2026, the "Bishkek Declaration on the 25th Anniversary of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization" signed and issued by the leaders of the member states proposed that cooperation in the field of education should be further deepened, inter-school exchanges and academic exchanges should be expanded, and professional talent training should be increased based on the national conditions and development needs of each country.
As cooperation in regional infrastructure, energy, manufacturing and other fields continues to advance, how to cultivate engineering and technical talents that meet the needs of economic and social development has become a realistic issue in educational cooperation. In Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan’s Luban Workshop, jointly built by China and Kyrgyzstan, is practicing on this topic. Since its official inauguration in October 2024, the workshop has carried out talent training and practical teaching in fields such as water conservancy engineering and machinery manufacturing, and explored the connection between different education systems in terms of curriculum, teaching methods and technical standards.
What new requirements does regional cooperation place on engineering talents? How can transnational education cooperation better respond to local development needs? Recently, Akilbek Chimerov, vice president of the Kyrgyz National Technical University and head of the Luban Workshop, accepted an exclusive interview with China News Service's "East-West Question" to share his observations and thoughts.
The interview transcript is summarized as follows:
China News Service reporter: How has the Luban Workshop in Kyrgyzstan been operating since its inauguration? What major professional talent training is currently carried out and what practical results have been achieved?
Akilbek Chimerov: Kyrgyzstan Luban Workshop is jointly constructed by Zhejiang Institute of Water Conservancy and Hydropower, Kyrgyzstan National Technical University and other units, and will be officially unveiled in October 2024. The workshop currently has 15 experimental training rooms, covering an area of more than 1,000 square meters, equipped with electrical, mechanical, road and bridge equipment, as well as testing instruments and teaching models. This year, the hydrological monitoring experimental training room has also been completed.
Today, school students carry out course practice here, and engineering and technical personnel also come to receive training. The workshop has trained more than 6,000 professionals in the fields of water conservancy and hydropower engineering, electrical engineering and automation.
Our cooperation with Zhejiang University of Water Resources and Hydropower has also expanded from practical teaching and skills training to undergraduate education, and we have jointly established a "2+2" joint training program for international business undergraduate majors. Students study in Kyrgyzstan and China universities for two years each and receive diplomas from both universities after graduation. It can be said that Luban Workshop is now becoming an important bridge between Kyrgyzstan and China to deepen educational cooperation.
China News Service reporter: From the construction of hydropower stations and highways to the promotion of the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, how has Kyrgyzstan’s demand for talents changed? How does the curriculum of Luban Workshop respond to the talent gap caused by these large-scale projects?
Akilbek Chimerov: These projects make it clearer to us that Kyrgyzstan needs not just more engineers, but also engineering talents who can apply modern technology, understand technical standards, and adapt to transnational projects.
The curriculum design of Luban Workshop is determined according to the development needs of our country. Directions such as water conservancy, hydropower, energy, roads and bridges all correspond to actual projects being promoted in Kyrgyzstan. As investors, including Chinese companies, get involved in local energy and infrastructure construction, the demand for talent in these fields is also increasing.
The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway is a specific example. Railway construction requires talents in engineering surveying, bridge construction and project management. We have begun to train relevant engineers so that they can participate in project construction and put the knowledge and skills they have learned into practical work.
China News Service reporter: Kyrgyzstan has its own natural conditions, education system and technical standards. How can Luban Workshop draw on Chinese teaching experience while basing itself on local realities? How can China and Kyrgyzstan learn from each other and adjust together in courses, equipment and engineering practice?
Akilbek Chimerov: There are indeed differences between the two countries in these aspects. China's applied higher education attaches great importance to school-enterprise cooperation. Laboratory construction is often aligned with the actual production tasks of enterprises, and virtual simulation and digital teaching platforms are also widely used. These experiences are what Kyrgyzstan hopes to learn from.
But learning does not mean copying. Kyrgyzstan is mountainous and has a high risk of earthquakes, and engineering cases designed for plain areas must be adapted to local natural conditions. Initially, some teaching materials were only available in Chinese. Based on feedback from Kyrgyz teachers and students, both parties translated a large number of materials into Russian and Kyrgyz. The Chinese side also adjusted the equipment configuration and course schedule based on local engineering practice needs.
Differences in technology standards are also brought into the classroom. Students must not only learn to operate the equipment, but also be exposed to technical documents and specifications from different countries and understand the principles behind different standards. Kyrgyz teachers went to China for training, and Chinese experts also came to Kyrgyzstan for exchanges and shared work experience under different technical standard systems.
This collaboration is not a one-way transfer of knowledge. The Kyrgyz side learns from China’s teaching experience, and the Chinese side also understands local educational traditions and technical needs during the cooperation, and ultimately cultivates talents that meet the needs of both parties.
China News Service reporter: At the SCO Tianjin Summit in 2025, China proposed to build 10 Luban workshops in member countries in the next five years. What experience can the practice of Kyrgyzstan’s Luban Workshop provide to SCO member states in deepening cooperation in engineering education and skilled personnel training?
Akilbek Chimerov: I think one lesson for SCO member states is that educational cooperation must be based on the actual needs of each country. Luban Workshop combines short-term training, academic education and applied research, and can cover different groups. I think this flexibility has reference significance for member states with different national conditions.
Educational cooperation connects not only equipment and courses, but also people from different countries. Students learn languages, participate in training, and communicate with foreign teachers. This kind of cooperation based on vocational skills training and engineering practice will help young people from different countries enhance mutual understanding and promote exchanges and mutual learning between different civilizations.
We also hope to take this year’s Shanghai Cooperation Organization Bishkek Summit as an opportunity to let more people know about Luban Workshop and have the opportunity to carry out personnel exchanges and cooperation projects with more partners.
