Students try calligraphy at the Confucius Institute at Osh State University in Kyrgyzstan on Sept 22. JIANG YOULIN/XINHUA

At the Confucius Institute of Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies, Uzbekistan, students gathered on Sept 24 to make mooncakes, a traditional Chinese delicacy, deepening their understanding of the Mid-Autumn Festival through hands-on cultural exchange.

The event is one example of how China and Central Asian countries have deepened ties in recent years through people-to-people and vocational cooperation.

Confucius Institutes have become important platforms for Central Asian students to learn Chinese, while Luban Workshops train highly skilled technical professionals to contribute to these countries' development and construction.

Central Asia now hosts 13 Confucius Institutes, with Kazakhstan accounting for five institutes, Kyrgyzstan four, and Uzbekistan and Tajikistan two each, according to Xinhua.

At the Luban Workshop of L. N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University in Astana, Kazakhstan, robotic arms, computer workstations and drone training equipment fill a smart laboratory where students learn how computer vision supports industrial automation.

A student shows a paper-cutting work at the Confucius Institute at the Osh State University in Osh, Kyrgyzstan, on Sept 22. DING LEI/XINHUA

For 20-year-old student Zhansaya Abdurakhman, the workshop offers a glimpse into a future career as Kazakhstan places a growing emphasis on AI development during its Year of Artificial Intelligence.

"We studied computer vision and how to work with a robotic manipulator for industrial automation," she said. "These skills are in great demand, and such practical experience can help us prepare for jobs in modern industrial enterprises."

Kazakh Minister of Science and Higher Education Sayasat Nurbek, who attended the university's 30th anniversary celebrations and the workshop's open day in late May, said the Luban Workshop model has proven successful in Kazakhstan.

He expressed appreciation to the Chinese government for providing industrial-grade equipment and supporting technology transfer. He said Kazakhstan is set to host three Luban Workshops, calling them a reflection of closer ties.

Ramazan Sadvokasov, a lecturer who trained in Tianjin, northern China, said the laboratory is an important platform to prepare professionals who may later help develop AI in Kazakhstan.

A teacher tutors students on Chinese chess during a break at the Confucius Institute at the Jalal-Abad State University in Manas City, Kyrgyzstan, on Sept 23. JIANG YOULIN/XINHUA

Nearly 100 teachers and more than 30 students have already received hands-on technical training through the program, he said."We expect our future graduates to become specialists in artificial intelligence, industrial automation and drone technologies," Sadvokasov said.

In Bishkek, the Luban Workshop at Kyrgyz State Technical University, or KSTU, officially opened in October 2024, with laboratories and classrooms spanning more than 1,000 square meters and housing over 300 pieces of equipment.

Akylbek Chymyrov, vice-rector of KSTU and director of the workshop, called it both an operational platform and a "living bridge" for advancing educational cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and China.

"The establishment of the Luban Workshop is of strategic importance for our university and provides a strong impetus for its modernization," Chymyrov said, adding that thanks to the substantial support of Chinese partners, KSTU students and faculty have gained access to advanced teaching methods, educational programs and high-tech equipment.

Chymyrov noted that the country urgently needs modern engineers for large-scale energy and infrastructure projects, and that the workshop is training specialists with international experience and high professional standards. The workshop is equipped with 15 laboratories, three smart classrooms and a conference hall.

Students try making mooncakes at the Confucius Institute at the Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on Sept 24. BAO NUOMIN/XINHUA

The two-track approach — language and culture through Confucius Institutes, practical skills through Luban Workshops — reflects a deliberate strategy to fuse investment with education and infrastructure with human capital.

As the students in Tashkent making mooncakes and the robotics trainees in Astana show, the Belt and Road is not only about connectivity between ports and pipelines. It is also about the quiet, daily work of building bridges between people — and the skills that will let them cross those bridges on their own.

A teacher gives a class on Chinese language at the Confucius Institute at the Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on Sept 24. DING LEI/XINHUA

Students attend a class at the Confucius Institute at the Al-Farabi Kazakh National University in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on Sept 24. LI RENZI/XINHUA

A teacher explains the logistics system to students at the Luban Workshop at the Mukhametzhan Tynyshbayev ALT University in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on Sept 16. LI RENZI/XINHUA

Students attend a class at the Luban Workshop at the Mukhametzhan Tynyshbayev ALT University on Sept 16. LI RENZI/XINHUA