On November 5, Egypt’s Ain Shams University marked the fifth anniversary of its Luban Workshop, a joint engineering training centre supported by Chinese institutions. The celebration underscored the deep roots that Sino-Egyptian cooperation has planted in technical education and skills development.
The Luban Workshop covers about 1,200 m² and was launched in late 2020 through a partnership with Tianjin Light Industry Vocational Technical College and Tianjin Transportation Technical College, underlining a shared commitment to vocational excellence. Adel El-Sabbagh, who heads the workshop, described the collaboration as “very fruitful,” noting that students now train on modern machines – in some cases more advanced than those in local factories.
One of the hallmarks of the partnership has been people-to-people exchange: 19 engineering students from Ain Shams recently travelled to China, visiting universities, industrial sites, and advanced labs. El-Sabbagh said such exposure is “key to expanding opportunities and deepening ties.”
The Luban Workshop isn’t the only node in Egypt-China education cooperation. Ain Shams University also hosts a Confucius Institute, and in 2025 the university’s engineering faculty welcomed a high-level delegation from Peking University to explore a joint research lab focused on communications, smart industry development, and information technology.
More broadly, the two nations are strengthening their scientific collaboration. In October 2025, Egypt and China convened their 10th Joint Committee on Scientific & Technological Cooperation, agreeing to boost projects in innovation, research, and higher education aligned with Egypt’s Vision 2030.
The Workshop is more than a training center, it’s a bridge. By combining Chinese technical know-how with Egyptian engineering talent, it’s creating a pipeline of skilled professionals who can drive Egypt’s industrial ambitions.
As both nations look ahead, this five-year milestone signals not just a successful project, but a steadily deepening partnership, rooted in education and mutual advancement.
