(Beijing/Shenyang) On May 16, 2008, the summary of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) vocational education program between BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd. and Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) and book presentation ceremony was held at the BMW Brilliance Shenyang plant, marking the successful conclusion of the two-year Automotive Mechatronics/Electronics cooperation program. This program is an important part of the Liaoning Employment Promotion and Training Program and one of China's key projects to rejuvenate old industry bases in Northeast China.
At the presentation ceremony, Ms. Grace Li, Senior Vice President and Director of Human Resources at BMW Brilliance and Dr. Michaela Baur, GTZ Project Leader, together donated to leaders of over 20 automobile vocational education schools all over the country 5,000 books from a series of textbook on Automotive Mechatronics/Electronics for auto technical training. This teaching material is the latest in Germany auto technology vocational education and features great practicability and guiding significance. BMW Brilliance Automotive has purchased the copyright from Germany, and translated and published the first volume, also one of the important results of this cooperation program. Officials including Cui Longzhu, Vice Director of the Liaoning Provincial Labor and Social Security Department, Mr. Zhou Xiding, Vice Director of the Liaoning Provincial Development and Reform Commission, and Ms. Jutta Ludwig from Delegation of German Industry & Commerce in China attended the event.
Another powerful measure to support education, teaching students methods is more important than simply giving them results
In April 2006, BMW Brilliance and GTZ officially kicked off the vocational education partnership program, aiming to improve the skills and professionalism of technical staff and suppliers of the auto industry, and to lay down a solid foundation for the long-term development of the Chinese auto industry. Introducing advanced training courses and teaching materials from Germany, and taking both the specific conditions of the Chinese auto industry and actual requirements of vocational education into consideration, BMW Brilliance has worked hard to promote the Automotive Mechatronics/Electronics course tailored for the special conditions of the Chinese auto industry. In the past two years, the cooperation program has invited vocational education specialists from Germany to train the teachers of many vocational schools in Liaoning province as the pilot site. The training, done in four levels, has not only enabled the teachers to master advanced auto technology and understand the German-style dual teaching philosophy system and methods, but also laid foundation for domestic auto educational institutions to carry out ‘dual system education' on Automotive Mechatronics/Electronics independently. Of these, the Shenyang Automotive Engineering School opened a student pilot class in September 2007.
Ms. Grace Li, Senior Vice President and Director of Human Resources of BMW Brilliance Automotive said, "As a responsible corporate citizen, BMW has always been committed to promoting the harmonious and sustainable development of the Chinese society. We not only have demonstrated our leading technical strength in products, but also hope to introduce leading auto products and technologies into China. Through the Automotive Mechatronics/Electronics program, we sincerely hope to introduce advanced German vocational education philosophy and mechanism into China, and promote the progress of the Chinese auto industry by considering China's specific conditions and the practical requirements of auto vocational education, shaping a high-level teaching team, and cultivating a group of auto technical talents with international vision."
GTZ Project Leader Dr. Michaela Baur said, "As an international cooperative enterprise committed to sustainable development across the world, we are very honored to cooperate with an industry leader like BMW Brilliance to promote Chinese education in the Automotive Mechatronics/Electronics field. I sincerely hope that the PPP cooperative mode we have demonstrated here with BMW Brilliance and the Liaoning Labor and Social Security Department can be applied to various fields, and thus promoting further innovation and development in Chinese vocational education." GTZ was founded in 1975, and has carried out 2,700 development cooperation projects in over 130 countries across the globe. Currently, GTZ has carried out vocational education projects for more than 20 years in China.
Persisting to make corporate social contribution, fruitful education support programs
BMW has always attached great importance to its development in China and has been committed to actively participating in the construction of a harmonious society in China. This cooperation program is another important measure underlining BMW's focus on local social development, and an important part of BMW's corporate social contribution activities in China.
Before this, BMW has supported Chinese education and culture in various ways and has attracted broad attentions from various parts of society.
- In November 2005, BMW Brilliance announced a donation of 250,000 RMB to the Shenyang Education Bureau to facilitate talent training and software and hardware facility construction in the Shenyang auto industry. In addition, BMW Brilliance provided one BMW 3 series and one BMW 5 series for education use to the GBS Automotive Industrial Academy at Shenyang University.
- In January 2006, "BMW Excellent University Students Award Fund" was established in cooperation with the honorable Soong Ching Ling Foundation. BMW will contribute 2.5 million RMB in 5 years, and grant award to 500 outstanding college students from low-income families in ten famous Chinese universities.
- In September 2007, the "BMW Outstanding Teachers Award" was officially set up. The initial award of 500,000 RMB has already benefited 260 teachers.
- In April 2008, the 2008 BMW Children's Traffic Safety Education kicked off in Beijing. It is the fourth consecutive year for BMW to hold Traffic Safety Education since 2005.
