China\u2019s global infrastructure programme, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), has been running for 11 years. But not many are aware that the country is also engaging with BRI nations on training projects like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Studying renewable energy overseas<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
In the autumn of 2023, 18 Filipino students, with ages ranging from 17 to 22, came to China to start a course in \u201cnew energy engineering\u201d at Jiuquan Vocational and Technical College in Gansu province.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Four of them, including Princess Agnila, are from Tacloban. It was one of the first cities to be hit by the devastating Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, so they know first-hand the gravity of the climate crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Philippines comprises over 7,000 islands, which makes the country particularly vulnerable to disasters such as typhoons and flooding. But many of those islands are rich in wind and sunshine, making them suitable for wind and solar power development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The country has been putting laws and policies in place to encourage such development. In 2021, its Department of Energy published a 2020-2040 National Renewable Energy Program<\/a>, with the target for renewable energy to have at least a 35% share of the power generation mix set at 2030, and 50% by 2040.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Over 350,000<\/a> renewable energy jobs could be created in the Philippines by 2030, according to think-tank IEEFA (the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis). That figure is based on a per-megawatt employment rate for the different forms of renewable energy; for example, constructing a geothermal power project requires 25 employees per megawatt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Jiuquan students were carefully selected for their potential to help combat climate change and develop the renewable energy sector back home. All have done well academically in STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and demonstrated an interest in the field. Family background was also considered; those from lower-income families, which could not afford overseas higher education fees, were prioritised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tom Wang is founder of People of Asia for Climate Solutions (PACS), a Manila-based NGO. He told China Dialogue that he wants to build bridges between China and climate-vulnerable nations. Training renewable energy personnel is vital, as is investing in wind and solar projects, to empower the countries to solve their own problems, he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The language of instruction in Jiuquan is Chinese. Before travelling to Gansu, the students were given months of Chinese classes in the Philippines, but have yet to reach the level needed for the course. Agnila explained that they initially tried going to classes with the Chinese students, but found it hard to keep up. They have now switched to full-time language classes at the college and will resume their planned studies when their Chinese is good enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jiuquan is situated on the edge of the Gobi Desert, an exposed, sunny area perfect for developing wind and solar power. The college is less than 200km from the world\u2019s largest wind farm, the Jiuquan Wind Power Base. There\u2019s even a 10.1-megawatt solar power plant on campus for students to train in, meaning they get plenty of practical experience. It is common<\/a> for students to do internships or go on to work for local businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For the Filipino students, acclimatising to life here was not plain sailing. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t just the cultural differences I had to deal with,\u201d said Agnila. \u201cThe climate is very different too, much drier and with much bigger differences in temperature. It was hard to get used to. But after a month or so, we settled in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She added that the Chinese language classes will continue for a year, and that they are also taking physical education, art and calligraphy classes. They won\u2019t choose a major until after that year, but most plan to study wind or solar power; Agnila will be opting for wind. However, they still don\u2019t know much about what the actual courses will involve. They are aware they\u2019ll have the chance to do practical work, but not the details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n PACS is in talks with other Chinese colleges and hopes to bring more students from the Philippines and other Belt and Road countries to study renewable energy technology in China. Tom Wang hopes those students will return home and use the skills and knowledge they\u2019ve acquired to make their countries more resilient to climate change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Getting the project underway hasn\u2019t been easy, Wang says. Most of the funding comes from the colleges, which provide full tuition waivers and scholarships to cover food, accommodation and other living expenses. The colleges themselves receive some funding<\/a> from the government to take on foreign students, with additional funding available<\/a> for those from BRI countries. PACS, meanwhile, recruits students, helping them obtain visas and providing them with pre-trip training such as Chinese classes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He explained that parents are often wary, as there are ongoing issues in the Philippines with human traffickers luring people with promises of overseas study; the fact it is free only makes them more suspicious. It took a lot of time and energy to convince the students\u2019 parents and teachers to agree. The students themselves, though, have been enthusiastic and keen to get started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n China is already helping to build up the renewable energy capacity of several Belt and Road countries, including the Philippines. The government has been encouraging the establishment of training programmes involving China and BRI countries. Not all of them are government-led: there are NGOs like PACS, and there are colleges\u2019 own programmes to bring in international students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Back in 2016, China\u2019s Ministry of Education launched a Belt and Road education initiative<\/a>. The idea was to encourage universities, vocational colleges and civil society organisations to carry out various forms of education cooperation and exchanges with countries along the Belt and Road. The initiative was welcomed by national and local governments, universities and NGOs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That same year, a China\u2013Egypt renewables laboratory was opened<\/a> in Egypt, to help the North African country develop solar power engineering capacities and personnel. In 2018, a China\u2013Arab League Clean Energy Training Centre was founded<\/a>, with China providing training for technical staff, company managers and officials from Arab League countries working on solar power, wind power and smart grids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other landmark projects include the Lu Ban Workshops, involving vocational colleges in Tianjin and Belt and Road countries. There are 21 workshops<\/a> in 20 countries, which have trained over 10,000 people on high-speed train maintenance, mechanisation of agriculture, new energy, electrical automation and industrial robotics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The college in Jiuquan where the Filipino students are studying has also signed an agreement with a provincial government in Mongolia to train 20 students<\/a> in agricultural and new energy technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These projects are popular with students, but external funding is required if long-term aims are to be met.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tom Wang admits that the PACS project faces a funding headache. The college in Jiuquan has waived tuition fees and provided scholarships. But 5,000-6,000 yuan (US$700-850) of expenses per student were incurred in the Philippines for Chinese language classes, passports and visa expenses, health checks, insurance and flights. Then there are other miscellaneous costs: the students didn\u2019t have the clothing needed for a Gansu winter, and his former employers and colleagues ended up helping with those expenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOverseas funders are more interested in projects with immediate effects, like shutting down a coal power plant, starting up a renewable energy project, or helping get a policy announced. Not training projects requiring years of patience and waiting,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are still questions over how long funding will last for renewable energy training \u2013 whether government or NGO-led \u2013 and how successful and sustainable it will be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tom Wang believes the younger generation has great potential to drive sustainable development and tackle climate change, and that technical skills will give them the tools and resources they need to meet those challenges. He plans to keep PACS running, even without external funding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf funding is tight, we need to think about cutting student numbers,\u201d he said. \u201cOf course, we hope that, when our students graduate, they will help fund studies for other students, passing on their ideals and practices.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries have suffered shortages of the expertise needed for their energy transitions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The nation\u2019s Department of Labor and Employment estimates a lack of one million<\/a> experienced engineering and construction workers. A lack of qualified applicants linked to a \u201cbrain drain\u201d \u2013 where skilled locals seek better opportunities abroad \u2013 have led to vacancies for power plant maintenance engineers being particularly hard to fill.<\/p>\n\n\n\nFrom the Philippines to the Gobi Desert<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Aerial](\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Gansu-solar-farm-Gobi-desert_Alamy_2RRR0AG.jpg\")
<\/div>Belt and Road capacity building<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Overseas funders are more interested in projects with immediate effects, like shutting down a coal power plant<\/blockquote>Tom Wang, People of Asia for Climate Solutions<\/cite><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Personnel shortages<\/h2>\n\n\n\n