On December 10, 2025, the 4th anniversary of the resumption of diplomatic relations between China and Nicaragua, the first Luban Workshop on the American continent was unveiled and established in Managua, the capital of Nicaragua. This project, jointly built by two vocational colleges in China and the National Technical Training Agency of Nicaragua, is the first to introduce modern technology training systems such as the Internet of Things and electrical automation into Latin America.

Fill the gap in vocational education in the Americas

As the first Luban workshop in the Americas, the Nicaragua project carries special geopolitical significance. The project is jointly constructed by Tianjin Vocational and Technical Normal University, Tianjin Bohai Vocational and Technical College, and the National Technical Training Agency of Nicaragua, located within the Fabretto Vocational School in Managua. The first phase of the workshop project focuses on the four major fields that Nicaragua needs most for development: the Internet of Things, electrical automation, mechatronics integration, and mechanical manufacturing and automation. It is equipped with advanced laboratories, theoretical classrooms, and teaching and research centers, which can cultivate urgently needed technical talents for the local area.

In June 2025, Nicaragua has sent 7 professional teachers and 2 education experts to Tianjin for a 21 day EPIP standardization training. This training model, which combines theory, practice, and culture, aims to create a local teaching staff in Nicaragua that can take away technology and retain skills.

Assist Nepal in its national development strategy

The construction of the Luban Workshop is highly in line with the national development needs of Nicaragua. Nicaragua's Presidential Advisor on International Cooperation, Lauriano, stated that the project will play an important role in strengthening vocational and technical education and cultivating young talents in the country. The implementation of the project is a practical measure to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state and promote the construction of a community with a shared future between China and Latin America. Chinese Ambassador to Nicaragua Qu Yuhui pointed out in his speech that this reflects the high importance that China attaches to cooperation between China and Nicaragua. At a deeper level, this cooperation achieves complementary advantages. The Chinese side provides a mature vocational education system and advanced equipment, while the Nepalese side provides venues and students; China focuses on technology transfer and local teacher training, rather than simply donating equipment.

The Nicaragua workshop will introduce innovative teaching models of Chinese engineering practice, develop bilingual teaching materials and professional standards in both Chinese and Western languages, and provide urgently needed technical talents for local Chinese enterprises and the development of Nicaraguan industries. In the workshop classroom in Managua, Nicaraguan teachers are using the newly learned EPIP teaching method to guide students in assembling automated equipment. Keywords: the Belt and Road project news, the Belt and Road news

These devices will become tools for them to change their personal destiny, and the entire Luban Workshop project is becoming an important part of Nicaragua's implementation of the national poverty reduction and development strategy.Editor/Cheng Liting