Shenzhen Polytechnic is a direct outcome of the speech given by Mr. Deng Xiaoping when he visited South China in 1992. In the years since then, with the able support of national, provincial and municipal governments, this Polytechnic has been creative and enterprising. It has striven boldly to provide both intellect and technical brawn to the rapid development of Shenzhen city and surrounding areas.

        Located in Shenzhen’s Special Economic Zone (SEZ), the front line of China ’s reform and opening up to the outside world, the Polytechnic has become a pioneer in China ’s higher vocational education. Conceived in the spirit of the SEZ, this polytechnic, ever since, has been breaking ground in the exhilarating modernization of China ’s education system. Our college offers today’s students an unrivalled level and range of higher vocational education. With a strict, yet fair educational management system, with rigorous professional guidance and with a dynamic, colorful, campus culture, we are meeting the region’s, and the country’s, need for grey - collar professionals defined as “skilled craftsman at college level and college students with proficient skills”.

        How have we been able to do this? Over the past 15 years, the Polytechnic has been unwavering in its pursuit of a new model of higher vocational education, one with Chinese characteristics. We have sought to create a systematic approach to higher vocational education, one in which the training a student receives is determined by the job market whilst the student’s development is placed in the hands of seasoned, technically qualified professional educators. Have we been successful? A resounding “yes”. Companies in the fore front of the manufacturing and service industries have welcomed our graduates. Our employment placement success rate has consistently remained above 95%. Employers tell us our graduates are easily assigned, are easily trained on-the-job, and be come excellent members of staff.

        Our success has been highlighted twice by the award of China ’s First Prize of Educational Achievement, in 2001 and 2005. In another nationwide evaluation of vocational and technical colleges in 2003, we received an “A+” for each of the 15 education indexes examined, and were granted the title of “fine college”. And in 2005, as the first college, our Polytechnic gratefully accepted selection by the Ministry of Education as a national model vocational college.

        Looking back, we cannot but feel pride and satisfaction. Looking forward, we feel exhilaration and excitement. In the years to come, Shenzhen Polytechnic will continue its pursuit of excellence in learning and in meeting society’s need for well-qualified graduates. We will continue to strive to meet the needs of the workplace and will be watchful and careful in our future development. We will continue to promote high moral standards in our students, while maintaining academic excellence throughout this institution. We will continue to improve our educational model and teaching environment. We will, as well, continue to be the ‘standard-bearer” of higher vocational education in China and will strive further to be a first rate global polytechnic university!