The 2024 World Conference on the Development of Vocational and Technical Education will be held in Tianjin, northern China, from 20 to 22 November, the Chinese Ministry of Education announced on Thursday.

The conference, an important step to increase China’s international influence in vocational education, is fully prepared, Peng Binbai, an official with the ministry, said at a press conference in Beijing.

This year’s conference will be held under the theme “Innovation Enables the Future, Skills Illuminate New Life” and has been translated into 101 languages, aiming to promote the concept of vocational education in a wider range of fields and among a larger population, Peng said.

As of Thursday morning, more than 600 foreign guests from 77 countries and regions, including more than 40 ministerial-level officials, had confirmed their attendance, Peng said.