As the global movement for skills development gathers momentum in Shanghai, SUES has aligned its efforts closely with China’s national strategy for cultivating skilled talent and become deeply engaged in WorldSkills activities. From event preparation and research to competitor training, international exchange, and volunteer services, SUES has contributed across a wide range of areas, demonstrating how a university can support world-class skills competitions through sustained and practical action.
Building on its strengths as an application-oriented university with a focus on engineering, SUES has leveraged its academic disciplines, faculty expertise, and practical training facilities to develop an integrated approach that brings together WorldSkills research and talent cultivation. SUES sent representatives to Kazan, Russia, to observe the 45th WorldSkills Competition and gain first-hand experience in competition organization and participation, and later became fully involved in preparations for the 46th WorldSkills Competition. SUES research teams have undertaken a number of WorldSkills-related policy and advisory projects, while faculty members have served as heads of expert teams and venue managers for WorldSkills events and coached competitors to international gold medals. SUES has also established a national-level WorldSkills training base to develop prospective competitors and organized faculty and student volunteers to participate in the 47th WorldSkills Competition in Lyon. Drawing on its experience from the WorldSkills Competition 2022 Special Edition and WorldSkills Lyon 2024, SUES is now gearing up for WorldSkills Shanghai 2026, the 48th WorldSkills Competition, ready to contribute its expertise and capabilities to the global skills community.
July 2026: Secretary of the CPC SUES Committee He Li inspects preparations for the 48th WorldSkills Competition
September 2024: Vice President Xia Chunming leads an SUES delegation to Lyon, France, to observe the 47th WorldSkills Competition.
Building a Think Tank and Professional Platform for WorldSkills Research
To better support the development of WorldSkills competitions and advance China’s skilled talent development, the China (Shanghai) Research Center for WorldSkills Competition was officially inaugurated at SUES in July 2018. The Center is jointly operated by the Shanghai Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau and SUES. In February 2020, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security officially approved the establishment of the Center, assigning it research responsibilities in areas including WorldSkills competition management, competition development, market development, international comparative studies, and cultural heritage. The Center is positioned as a national think tank for WorldSkills research and an international decision-making advisory body.
From its inception, the Center was deeply involved in preparations for the 46th WorldSkills Competition, coordinating technical liaison among WorldSkills International, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, and the Shanghai Municipal Government, while conducting competition-related research, document translation, and thematic studies. After the 46th WorldSkills Competition in Shanghai was converted into the WorldSkills Competition 2022 Special Edition due to the pandemic, the Center continued to track developments in WorldSkills and provide support for WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 through technical research, international seminars, and specialized advisory services. Over the years, the Center has established a collaborative network linking the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, local human resources and social security authorities, and WorldSkills International. It has built a professional research team, undertaken numerous commissioned research projects, conducted extensive international exchanges, and produced a wide range of research reports and training lectures. Through these efforts, the Center has grown from a newly established research platform into a key national research support force for WorldSkills initiatives in China.
November 2024: The WorldSkills Research Center holds a special meeting on WorldSkills with the Competitions Department of the WorldSkills International Secretariat and the Department of Vocational Capacity Building of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.
Developing a Strong Research Team and Delivering Practical Research Outcomes
The China (Shanghai) Research Center for WorldSkills Competition has built a high-level research team comprising both full-time and part-time researchers. Several key faculty members have been seconded to relevant departments of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the Shanghai WorldSkills Competition Executive Bureau, where they have contributed directly to preparations for the competition. The team has hosted visiting expert delegations from WorldSkills International and the World Bank, organized a number of international seminars, and played an active role in developing the competition’s visual identity and branding, with several of its proposals officially adopted.
The team has pursued both theoretical research on WorldSkills and practical studies related to competition operations. To date, it has undertaken more than ten commissioned research projects, with total contract funding exceeding RMB 2 million, and provided professional services for the 46th and 48th WorldSkills Competitions, the National Vocational Skills Competition of the People’s Republic of China, and skills competitions in provinces and cities across China. The team has also translated more than 20 million Chinese characters of official WorldSkills materials, organized over 120 training and exchange activities, and compiled three competition training manuals and guides.In recognition of these achievements, the Center has received multiple official letters of appreciation from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the Shanghai WorldSkills Competition Executive Bureau, and other organizations. Its research findings have provided valuable input for competition preparations and skills policy development. The Center has also received certificates of appreciation from overseas organizations, including SkillsAustria, further enhancing its international influence.
Professor Liu Xiang leads his team to win gold in Cloud Computing at the 47th WorldSkills Competition
Associate Professor Luo Shengqiang volunteers at the WorldSkills Competition in Kazan
Li Houjia works on site at the WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 Test Event
Empowering Faculty to Take Key Roles in WorldSkills
A group of SUES faculty members have taken on roles not only as classroom instructors, but also as coaches and key organizers at WorldSkills competitions, achieving impressive results both on and beyond the international competition stage.
Professor Liu Xiang from School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering serves as head of China’s expert team for Cloud Computing. Under his leadership, the team secured China’s first WorldSkills gold medal in Cloud Computing at the WorldSkills Competition 2022 Special Edition and went on to win gold again at WorldSkills Lyon 2024, helping China advance from a newcomer to a leading competitor in the skill. Faculty members including Li Houjia and Zheng Hao from School of Higher Vocational Education have served as venue managers for the 46th and 48th WorldSkills Competitions. Their teams are responsible for key tasks including venue preparation, layout planning, and competition operations, providing essential technical support for the smooth running of the competitions.
Associate Professor Luo Shengqiang from the Research Center has participated in WorldSkills competitions overseas on multiple occasions, undertaking on-site assignments, technical observation, and specialized training and gaining extensive experience in competition organization. He and Chen Yanjie are currently working with the Executive Bureau for the 48th WorldSkills Competition, contributing to key areas including competition preparation, personnel training, and document translation. Experts from the Center have also been invited to appear on CCTV’s Newsweek to introduce WorldSkills to the wider public and promote greater understanding of skills development.
May 2026: SkillsAustria presents a certificate of appreciation to the SUES WorldSkills Research Center.
Strengthening Training Facilities and Bringing WorldSkills Resources into Talent Development
School of Higher Vocational Education (Advanced Technical School) of SUES has established training bases for the Additive Manufacturing skill for the 46th, 47th, and 48th WorldSkills Competitions, serving as a key training hub for Additive Manufacturing competitors in Shanghai. Equipped to WorldSkills international standards, the bases closely replicate actual competition environments, providing strong technical and facility support for intensive training, simulated assessments, and skills refinement.
The base serves not only China’s national WorldSkills training team but also SUES students, while hosting WorldSkills test events and competitor assessments. SUES student Shen Hui trained intensively at the base and was successfully selected as a national candidate for the 48th WorldSkills Competition.The base also extends its impact through regular career experience and skills outreach activities, as well as technical exchanges with other institutions and industry partners. By transforming advanced WorldSkills competition standards into teaching resources for vocational education and bringing WorldSkills expertise and achievements into everyday teaching, the base is helping strengthen the pipeline of highly skilled talent and develop a strong pool of skilled professionals for China’s additive manufacturing sector.
The research team of the SUES WorldSkills Research Center
Integrating Research, Competition and Education to Develop the SUES WorldSkills Model
The China (Shanghai) Research Center for WorldSkills Competition, based at SUES, has developed a distinctive approach that leverages the university’s academic strengths, brings together government, universities, industry, and research institutions in talent development, supports competition organization through research, and channels WorldSkills experience back into teaching and research. SUES has incorporated the Center into its overall development strategy and draws on its multidisciplinary strengths in engineering, art, management, and other fields to conduct research on industrial technologies, competition branding, competition management, and related areas. The Center has produced a wide range of outputs, including advisory reports, software copyrights, training materials, and industry lectures. At the same time, WorldSkills experience has contributed directly to talent development at SUES. Coaches and researchers integrate WorldSkills competition standards and advanced international skills into classroom teaching and practical training, creating an integrated research–competition–education model for practical training and talent development.
Positioned as a national think tank for WorldSkills research, the Center continues to contribute to skills competitions at various levels, expand international dialogue, and share China’s experience in competition organization and skilled talent development with the world. Looking ahead to the 48th WorldSkills Competition in Shanghai, SUES will continue to draw on its comprehensive strengths to produce high-quality WorldSkills research, promote skills culture, and contribute to the high-quality development of the WorldSkills movement in China.
