On August 21, Ding Ronggui, Vice President of the International Project Management Association (IPMA) and Dean of the School of Management, Shandong University, led a delegation to Beijing Guozhi Zhiling Talent Technology Co., Ltd. for an exchange and collaboration meeting. The meeting focused on “International Project Management and Vocational Education Cooperation,” bringing together representatives from universities, enterprises, and industry associations to explore pathways for cultivating international talents and fostering new industry-education integration. In attendance were Zuo Gang, Chairman of Guozhi Zhiling; Xu Hao, Deputy General Manager; Chen Liyun, Deputy Director of the Working Committee of the China Enterprise Association for Foreign Economic and Trade Cooperation; and Zhang Xiaofeng, Vice Dean of the School of Management, Shandong University.
At the meeting, Professor Ding Ronggui shared his years of practice and insights in promoting the integration of international project governance and education. He emphasized that in the context of deepening globalization and the Belt and Road Initiative, project management is no longer merely a technical or managerial issue but a strategic synergy challenge across cultures and systems. Leveraging its three major strengths—traditional cultural research, state-owned enterprise collaboration mechanisms, and public project management—Shandong University is actively building an internationally influential project management education and research system to provide theoretical support and talent assurance for Chinese enterprises “going global”. Professor Ding stressed that international cooperation should not be limited to course introductions or personnel exchanges but should focus on “system output” and “model innovation”. Particularly in cutting-edge fields such as international project governance, digital transformation, and sustainable development, Chinese universities should take the initiative to set agendas and participate in standard-setting. As he has mentioned in public interviews, “To transition from ‘following’ to ‘running alongside’ and even ‘leading,’ it is essential to promote the deep integration of education, industry, and international certification mechanisms.”
Zuo Gang stated that as an innovative platform focused on corporate globalization and international talent development, Guozhi Zhiling has already promoted the establishment of secondary colleges, internship bases, and skill competition platforms in multiple countries, dedicated to bringing Chinese project management practices and vocational education models to the world. The exchanges and collaboration between Guozhi Zhiling, the International Project Management Association, and Shandong University were motivated by Professor Ding Ronggui’s authoritative status and forward-thinking vision in the international project management community.
As the secretariat unit of the Working Committee of the China Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Enterprises Association, Guozhi Zhiling issued an expert appointment letter of the Association to Professor Ding Ronggui.
Both parties proposed to focus on in-depth discussions in areas such as international course co-development, overseas localization cooperation, international talent competitions and internship programs, and the creation of regional benchmark projects, aiming to achieve an “education-certification-employment” ecological closed loop. This strategic collaboration is not only an integration of university and enterprise resources but also a milestone in the deep integration of Chinese vocational education and the international project management system. In the future, the partnership will cultivate high-end talents with international perspectives and practical experience in transnational project management, providing solid support for the globalization of Chinese industries.
