Deepening Industry-Education Integration, Empowering Foreign Trade Talent

To further deepen industry-education integration, refine the mechanism of school-enterprise collaborative education, effectively bridge the gap between theoretical instruction in foreign trade and practical industry operations, and cultivate application-oriented, skilled talent suited to market development, Mr. Yao Jun, Deputy General Manager of Hubei Fortway Import and Export Trading Co., Ltd., was invited to Yangtze University’s School of Economics and Management on May 25 to deliver a seminar on international trade practices. Conducted both online and offline, the session attracted 59 students, building a vital bridge between academic learning and real-world industry practice through frontline insights.

Closely aligned with industry trends and student career needs, the seminar moved beyond traditional lecturing. It focused on core client acquisition skills, using real business cases to systematically explain two main models—active and passive client acquisition—and detailed practical methods for channels such as search engine marketing, social media management, independent website development, offline exhibitions, B2B platform operations, and client referrals. Tailored strategies were shared for different enterprise scales and target markets like Europe, America, and Southeast Asia, helping to resolve students’ career doubts, alleviate concerns over AI-driven job displacement, and strengthen their confidence in pursuing a future in foreign trade.

The session covered the entire foreign trade workflow, from upfront compliance and market positioning to customer profiling, mid-stage quotation, sampling, production follow-up, customs declaration, inspection, foreign exchange collection, and tax rebates, through to after-sales service, client relationship management, and cross-cultural communication techniques. This comprehensive overview helped students and faculty fill practical gaps, solidify their knowledge structure, and build core competencies essential for the industry.

This event represents Fortway’s ongoing commitment to school-enterprise cooperation and talent development. Since the partnership began, Fortway and Yangtze University have collaborated deeply on internships, curriculum development, and talent placement, continuously supplying Jingzhou’s foreign trade sector with highly skilled, practice-ready graduates.

Looking ahead, Fortway will continue to serve as a link between government, enterprises, and academia. The company aims to innovate diverse cooperation models, further support the development of local talent pipelines, and inject new momentum into the high-quality growth of foreign trade in Shashi District and Jingzhou City.