Editor's note: There is a rich abundance of stories depicting people-to-people exchanges between Shanghai Cooperation Organization cities. During a session held at the Global Mayors Dialogue?SCO Summit Cities in Tianjin on Tuesday, three individuals shared their stories of committing to such exchanges and building up mutual understanding between SCO countries. Wu Zhengpeng was one of them.

Wu Zhengpeng still vividly recalls his first visit to the Luban Workshop in Tajikistan in 2022, when the facility was still under construction. Braving intense heat, he and his colleagues pressed ahead with determination to help build a state-of-the-art vocational training center aimed at nurturing skilled professionals for the country's development.

At the time, the facility was still a gymnasium undergoing renovation. With a tight project schedule, Wu, a teacher at Tianjin Urban Construction Management and Vocation Technology College, worked tirelessly alongside his team to install and calibrate the equipment.

"We began at sunrise and often continued late into the night to ensure that the renovation could be finished before the inauguration ceremony scheduled for Aug 1," he said.

Thanks to the close cooperation between Chinese and Tajik teams, the venue was successfully launched on time and has become a comprehensive training workshop equipped with advanced equipment and a full suite of training resources.

Co-founded by Wu's college and Tajik Technical University, the Luban Workshop in Tajikistan, which began operating in November 2022, is the first of its kind in Central Asia.

Following the completion of the workshop, Wu's work quickly shifted to training local teachers and formulating teaching materials such as textbooks and video tutorials.

The workshop specializes in urban thermal application and engineering surveying, which Wu said are crucial to the country's infrastructure construction and livelihoods.

Since its operation, the workshop has trained around 1,500 students, improving their practical skills and employment competitiveness, he said.

The workshop aims to support higher education in participating countries through partnerships with local universities and train professionals who are urgently needed in local industrial development, Wu said.

Last year, a group of faculty and students from Tajik Technical University visited Tianjin.

"From our first meeting in Tajikistan to our reunion in China, the interactions and cooperation have also deepened mutual understanding and friendship," Wu said.

So far, Tianjin has established 10 Luban Workshops in eight Shanghai Cooperation Organization countries. These platforms offer opportunities for young people beyond their home country, he said.

"With their actions, they are building bridges between cultures and nations," he added.

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