The China Disabled Persons' Federation (CDPF) and the National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA) signed a cooperation agreement on June 6 in Shandong province to boost inclusive vocational education for people with disabilities. The agreement aims to leverage the resources of the Shandong Vocational College of Special Education to explore talent cultivation models in cultural heritage and enhance the quality of education for disabled students.
Li Dongmei, member of the Leading Party Members Group and vice-chairwoman of the CDPF, and Qiao Yunfei, member of the Leading Party Members Group and deputy director of the NCHA, attended the event and witnessed the signing ceremony.
Under the agreement, the CDPF and NCHA will collaborate in areas including curriculum development, faculty training, teaching and research, and the integration of industry and education. A joint training mechanism will be established to tailor to the physical and psychological characteristics of people with disabilities and responsive to new employment trends in the cultural heritage sector. The program will incorporate industry standards, case-based learning, internships, and practical training to enhance students' hands-on skills and cultivate highly skilled professionals in heritage conservation.
Shandong Vocational College of Special Education, a public institution under the Shandong Provincial Disabled Persons' Federation, is China's first school to offer a cultural heritage restoration and preservation major specifically for students with disabilities. Since launching the program in 2019, the college has trained over 80 students with disabilities in paper, ceramic, and metal artifact restoration. These students have contributed to 12 national cultural heritage conservation projects, restoring more than 1,100 pieces or sets of State-owned cultural relics.
The event was attended by officials from the provincial disabled persons' federation, the department of culture and tourism, the department of education, and the department of human resources and social security of Shandong province. Faculty and student representatives from Shandong Vocational College of Special Education also participated.