From May 6th to 9th, 2025, a capacity building workshop for Community Learning Centres (CLCs) was held in Kampot Province, Cambodia. Dr. Qi Xinjian, Assistant Director, and Ms. Wu Yunfei, Programme Coordinator of the UNESCO International Research and Training Centre for Rural Education (INRULED), were invited to participate in this event. The event was organised by the Department of Non-Formal and Inclusive Education under the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MoEYS) of Cambodia, with the aim of strengthening the management and operational capacities of rural CLCs, promoting skills development and advancing lifelong learning systems in the country. A total of 116 local education administrators and CLC managers took part in the workshop. This visit marks the third time INRULED has been invited to support CLC capacity building in Cambodia, following two earlier missions in March and April 2024.

During the workshop, Dr. Qi Xinjian and Ms. Wu Yunfei delivered a presentation titled “Trends and Best Practices of CLCs in Rural China.” They shared the background and development of China’s rural CLC project, and analysed innovative practices under INRULED’s framework of “Education for Sustainable Rural Development.” Their presentation highlighted successful experiences across four key dimensions of rural development: economic, social, cultural, and environmental. They also discussed effective strategies in areas such as needs assessment, project design, resource mobilisation, and stakeholder engagement in CLC operations. In addition, Ms. Gu Yifan from Langxia Town Community School in Shanghai delivered a recorded presentation on the school-based curriculum, themed on The Life of Cotton, showcasing the CLC’s efforts in education for sustainable development (ESD) and local cultural heritage preservation.

On May 8th, the INRULED team visited Saint François Technical High School to gain insights into its campus infrastructure, teaching facilities, and programme offerings in agriculture and tourism. The team also engaged in in-depth exchanges with the school’s leadership and teaching staff on strengthening vocational education, enhancing curriculum relevance, and advancing skills training to better meet industry needs.

On May 9th, INRULED delegation visited the Department of Digital Transformation (DDT) under the MoEYS, as well as the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Regional Centre for Technical Education Development (SEAMEO TED). They engaged in detailed discussions on regional cooperation in technical and vocational education, digital transformations in education, and the promotion of skills development within lifelong learning frameworks. The meetings resulted in a shared understanding of key priorities and identified several areas for future collaboration.