ZiBo Polytechnic University(ZBPU)is a public undergraduate vocational institution, formerly known as Zibo VocationalInstitute which wasestablished in 2002. Currently ZiBo Polytechnic University(ZBPU) isdesignated as a leading institution under China's "Double High" Plan for developing top-tier vocational colleges and specialized programs.It has been recognized as an Outstanding National Exemplary Higher Vocational College, a National High-Quality Vocational College, a National Pilot Institution for Educational Improvement, a Modern Apprenticeship Pilot Unit, and a National Model Institution for Digital Campus Construction. The university has received honors including National Advanced Unit in Vocational Education, National Advanced Unit in Cultural and Ethical Development, and the prestigious Huang Yanpei Vocational Education Award. In March 2025, Zibo VocationalInstitute was restructured and elevated to become Zibo Polytechnic University(ZBPU) by the Ministry of Education. This transformation marked a significant milestone, as ZBPU became the firstpublic undergraduate-level vocational university in Shandong Province.

ZiBo Polytechnic University(ZBPU)covers an area of over 2,400 mu (approximately 400 acres) and has a student population of more than 24,000. It comprises 19 departmentswhichoffers 74 programs, including6 vocational undergraduate programs.ZBPU now has4 national-levelTVETtraining bases,1 national virtual simulation training base Incubation Program, 3 national-levelproductive training bases, 1 national virtual simulation training center, 2 National Centersfor Collaborative Innovation, and 1 national-level "dual-qualified" (combining academic and technical expertise) teacherstrainingcenter.

Throughout its history,ZiboPolytechnicUniversity(ZBPU)has implemented a talent-driven development strategybyadopting a approach of talent recruitment and cultivation tograduallybuild a high-level, dual-qualified faculty team. Currently, it employs 1,418 full-time faculty members, including 124 professors, 356 associate professors , 115 doctoral degree holders, and 1,114 master's degree holders. Among them, thereare 3 recipients of the National "Ten Thousand Talents Plan" , 3 National Teaching Masters, 3 Grade-II Professors,2 State Council Allowance Expert, 7 national technical experts, 14 provincial-level distinguished teachers, and 5 Provincial Youth Technical Talents.It also features: 2 national-level teaching innovation teams; 2 national teaching teams; 1 National Model Teaching Team (Huang Danian Award); 1 national teaching master workshop; 11 Provincial Excellent Teaching Team; 3 provincial Model Teaching Teams (Huang Danian Award); 7 Provincial Teaching Innovation Teams and 1 Shandong Provincial Exemplary Team for Entrepreneurship.

ZiBo Polytechnic University(ZBPU)has vigorously advanced educational reform, prioritizing the development of students' competitiveness and career potential while actively implementing the CPC Central Committee's decisions to accelerate modernTVETsystem development. Through innovative models including:3+2 Articulated College-to-University Program, Collaborative Cultivation Program between Higher Vocational Education and Technician Education, Five-year Higher Vocational Education Program Jointly Offered with Secondary Vocational Schools, and"3+2 Continuous Study" mechanisms, ZBPUhas effectively integrated secondary vocational, higher vocational, and undergraduate education to systematically cultivate talents. These practices were highlighted as exemplary at the National Conference on Enhancing Vocational Education Quality.The achievements include:7 National Teaching Achievement Awards and 23 provincial awards in recent triennial selections,3 inaugural National Textbook Development Awards (1 first prize),102 State-planned Textbooks,8 national key construction specialties,12 national backbone specialties,1 national specialty demonstration site,3 national specialty teaching resource repositories,9national-levelexcellentcourses,9 open resource-sharing courses,10national-levelexcellentonlinecourses,2 high-level specialty clusters under Phase I of the National "Double High" Plan (exemplary vocational institutions and specialty clusters),3 Shandong provincial brand specialty clusters, and5 provincial high-level specialty clusters.Student accomplishments (in thepast three years)include:6 international competition awards,26 national vocational skills competition awards,156 Shandong provincial vocational skills competition awards, and over 2,800 awards at provincial-level or higher competitions.Graduate employment rates remain above 97%, withover40% securing high-end positions and 95% employer satisfaction.

As a Shandong Provincial Model Institution for Integrated Industry-Academia Collaboration,ZBPU has spearheaded the establishment of1 National Exemplary Vocational Education Group,3 Regional Industry-Education Alliances, and5 Sector-Specific Industry-Education Integration Communities.These initiatives engage local government agencies, universities, industry associations, and key enterprises to ensure collaborationamonggovernment, academia, associations,andindustry through shared information and resources.

Strategic partnerships have been forged with 966 leading enterprises, including Sinopec Qilu Petrochemical , Shandong Xinhua Medical Instrument, Shandong Dongyue Chemical, Huawei Technologies, and Weigao Group, through:91tailoredtraining programs,19 mixed-ownership modern industry colleges co-developed with enterprises,8regional industry-education integration practice hubs,4 MOE-accredited industry-academia collaboration projects,3 national modern apprenticeship pilot specialties, and13 provincial-level integrated collaboration initiatives. ZBPU has also invited over600 industry leaders, including alumni entrepreneurs, Fortune 500 executives, master craftsmen, and intangible cultural heritage inheritors,toserve as industry professors and technical commissioners. Theyactively contributing totheteaching, R&D, and institutional governance.The university has established 42 master craftsman studios and 30 enterprise-embedded professor (PhD) workstations to foster industry-academia communitieswithsharedfuture.

Adhering to its research philosophy of "Rooted in Vocational Education, Focused on Applied Research," the university has established a distinctive innovation system byco-building technology platforms with enterprises, undertaking industry-commissioned technical service projects, and jointly patents.Key Collaborative Platformsinclude1 Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center,2 Provincial Engineering Research Centers,1 Provincial Pilot Base for Commercializing R&D Achievements,1 Provincial Technology Transfer Service Agency,2 Provincial Higher Education Engineering Technology Research Centers,4 Provincial Higher Education New Technology R&D Centers,1 Provincial Higher Education Achievement Commercialization & Technology Transfer Base,1 Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center for Ecological Conservation and High-Quality Development in the Yellow River Basin,2 Provincial Future Industry Engineering Research Centers (Higher Education), and5 Provincial Vocational Education Skill Inheritance & Innovation Platforms. There are2,240 patents granted (1,167 inventive patents),115 patents transferred and 29 licensed for commercialization,844 industry-funded R&D projects undertaken over the past five years, and126 million yuan in secured research funding.

Rooted in regional socio-economic development needs for skillful talents, the university leverages its disciplinary strengths, faculty expertise, and research capabilities to establish10 provincial/municipal model training bases, and4 specialized industry training colleges.These facilities deliver annual training programs exceeding 120,000 participant-days across sectors including agriculture, construction, healthcare, and elderly care.The university has been the first one to found Zibo Model Workers and Artisans Academy – China’s first "government + institution + enterprise + market" collaborative platform – to cultivate talentsfor new-quality productive forces.ZBPU has launched the Rural Revitalization College, offeringjunior college programs for rural cadres, agricultural PhD workstations, e-commerce initiatives for agricultural support, and on-site guidance by village-appointed Party secretaries. Someaccreditations have been received includingNational Rural Revitalization Skilled Talent Training Base,National Exemplary Site for Worker Education,Shandong Provincial Model Vocational Institution for Rural Revitalization, etc.

The university also providesstable enrollment in advanced continuing education programs, and extends community education services, which make the university designated as China’s first National Standard Demonstrationinstitution for senior education.

The university has been actively building an international education brand by proactively serving the Belt and Road Initiative and supporting regional economic globalization strategies. It has continuously expanded global collaborations, establishing partnerships with 109 institutions across 26 countries and regions. Key initiatives include co-founding the China-AfricaTVETAlliance and the Belt and Road Institutions & Enterprises Exchange Association, while establishing eight overseastainingbases such as theLuban Mozi College in Malaysiaand the Tanzania Automotive Academy. The institution nowis thevice chairinstitutionin 11 international vocational education organizations.To enhance global educational collaboration, the institution has shared expertise in nine specialized fields such as new energy vehicle technologies and co-developed 30 curricular frameworks with partner universities in Belt and Road countries, including Cambodia. Through these partnerships, it has trained 13 technical instructors and Chinese language educators for 13 universities across four countries, such as Cambodia and Russia. Additionally, the institution has empowered over 5,000 professionals with industry-specific skills to support enterprises expanding overseas. It has also welcomed and educated more than 2,000 international students, fostering cross-cultural exchange and mutual learning in vocational education.

The university has deeply explored the cultural essence of the ancient Qi civilization and the industrial spirit of Zibo, shaping a distinctive campus culture branded as "Qidi Craftsmanship Spirit" (Qidi: referring to the ancient Qi region). By integrating these regional heritage elements, it has pioneered innovative educational models to advance traditional Chinese culture within the framework of the national "Double High"plan.Recognized as a "One School, One Brand" National Exemplar for campus culture development among vocational institutions, the university has been named a Chinese Traditional Virtues Promotion Base and a Shandong Provincial Pilot School for Inheriting Outstanding Traditional Culture.It has implemented the "One Course, Two Databases, Three Platforms" educational model centered on Qi culture, which was endorsed as anexcellenceprojectin nationalhighereducationideological andpoliticalwork and atypicalcase ofmoraleducation andideological-politicaleducation by the Ministry of Education.

The university has spearheaded comprehensive management innovation, with its reform initiatives twice acknowledged by China’s central leadership. Its pioneering personnel system reforms were honored with the Shandong Organizational Innovation Award by the provincial authorities. The institution’s 24/7 student management framework, ensuring round-the-clock student support, was highlighted in the Ministry of Education Bulletin as a national best practice.

To advance governance modernization, the university has established a “1+5” Collaborative Governance System anchored in the President’s Accountability System under the Party Committee leadership, synergized with five advisory and decision-making bodies: the Expert Advisory Committee, University Council, Academic Committee, Staff Congress, and Student Congress.It has developed a self-regulated, dynamic, and sustainable internal quality assurance mechanism integrating performance evaluation, which has been adopted by over 80 peer institutions nationwide as a benchmark model.The university’s practices have been extensively covered by leading Chinese media, including Xinhua News Agency, China Central Television (CCTV), People’s Daily, and Guangming Daily, solidifying its reputation as a trailblazer in higher education reform.

With the winds of opportunity at its back,Zibo Polytechnic Universityremains steadfast in advancing, aligning its mission with the nation’s pursuit of high-quality economic development. By strategically addressing the evolving demands of industries, market needs, and the critical supply of skilled technical talent, the institution is accelerating reforms and innovative practices to elevate its educational excellence.Aiming to become a world-class vocational and technical university with distinctive Chinese characteristics, ZBPU is dedicated to enhancing its role in supporting national strategies, driving regional growth, and empowering industrial modernization. Through systemic innovation and institutional strengthening, it strives to serve as a vital engine for cultivating talent that bridges economic progress and societal advancement.