On June 15, 2026, the atmosphere at Quanzhou Ocean Vocational College was lively, and a graduation ceremony for West African youth was held as scheduled. Eighteen young Guineans have completed a three-month intensive study and all obtained internationally recognized seafarer qualification certificates. These students are the first batch of local sailors trained by the Simandou Iron Ore Project. After completing their studies, they will be involved in the iron ore shipping route from Guinea to China. From zero language foundation to proficient mastery of maritime operations, young people have overcome regional climate and cultural differences, completed transformation in the famous coastal city, and built a maritime talent bond for cross-border mining cooperation.

Graduation witnesses growth

Representatives from all walks of life gathered at the graduation ceremony, and the school principal gave a triple affirmation to the students' learning process, encouraging young people to safeguard shipping safety and build a bridge for exchanges between the two countries. The person in charge of the shipping company delivered a message to the students on site, using their learned skills to assist in the construction of the Simandou project and promote the progress of Guinea's local shipping industry. The representatives of the project partner companies sent their blessings online, and the school leaders issued professional certificates to the students one by one. Among the eighteen students, ten obtained the qualification of duty sailor and eight obtained the qualification of duty mechanic. Several industry enterprise leaders witnessed the certification process together.

100 days of diligent study and hard training

The three-month comprehensive training covers multiple core courses, and students have completed basic certification content such as the operation and safety protection of life-saving equipment. They have also simultaneously learned practical knowledge for corresponding positions, and have also offered courses on maritime Chinese and marine culture. The on campus training ship and professional training room is open 24/7, and students repeatedly hone their practical skills. In the spare time, everyone walks into the ancient city ruins of the Maritime Silk Road Museum in Quanzhou Shipyard, and experiences up close the millennium old maritime trade heritage of the ancient Maritime Silk Road. Through on-site visits, we deepen our understanding of cross-border shipping cooperation.

Professional education guarantee

The school has established a bilingual teaching and management team to carry out specialized teaching, equipped with smart classrooms that support synchronous translation of more than 60 languages, and comprehensively solve the learning and living difficulties of foreign students. Under the overall guidance of the State Maritime Safety Administration, colleges and universities, together with experts in the field of shipping from many countries, have compiled 11 bilingual teaching materials for seafarers, improved the international maritime talent training system, continued to transport stable local shipping manpower for the Simandou Iron Ore Project, and continued to expand the space for industrial cooperation between China and Guinea, Belt and Road. Keywords: Simandou iron mine, Guinean crew, China Guinea shipping cooperation

Based on this targeted training, the local shipping team in Guinea has been expanded, and the cross-border iron ore transportation route has a localized professional crew team, which not only reduces the cost of project shipping support, but also promotes the cultivation of local marine skilled talents in West Africa, and continues to broaden the collaborative development path of mining and shipping in China and Guinea.Editor/Li Xiaohua