The Luban Workshop has changed my life, "said Professor Joseph Lucas, the head of the Luban Workshop in Portugal. In front of the Engineering School building of the Setubal Institute of Technology in Portugal, the seven Chinese characters "Portuguese Luban Workshop" are particularly prominent. The concept, technology, and spirit of vocational education in China have taken root and grown here. In December 2018, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Portugal, the Luban Workshop in Portugal officially launched a high standard training center centered around industrial robots and electrical automation, serving Sino Portuguese vocational education cooperation. This became the first project of the Luban Workshop to land on the European continent. From project establishment to unveiling, it only took more than 20 days, and the real test is not "completion", but "co construction". At first, there were significant differences in educational philosophies between the two sides. The Chinese side emphasized on-site practical operations and work processes, while the Portuguese side valued principle exploration and theoretical logic. From the beginning of the course to the cultivation of engineering skills, there have been collisions of thinking. But in these repeated exchanges, the cooperation between the two sides continues to deepen. The Chinese side has introduced more than 10 sets of professional equipment and systematic talent training programs and engineering practice courses, while the Portuguese side has embedded local industry needs into the curriculum system. The two sides have gradually formed a curriculum framework that integrates engineering practice and problem orientation, upgrading the Luban Workshop from an equipment introduction project to a system co construction platform. In 2022, the joint team of China and Portugal won a silver medal in the World Vocational College Skills Competition for the first time, which is the best witness to the win-win cooperation between the two sides. From guidance to shaping - the spirit of Chinese craftsmanship touches people's hearts. By the end of 2025, the Portuguese Luban Workshop has trained more than 500 embedded degree students and developed hundreds of bilingual textbooks and teaching resources. Miguel, a student at the Luban workshop in Portugal, once worked as an apprentice in a repair shop. After entering the workshop, he had his first exposure to a complete industrial production line. He said, 'I used to repair machines, but now I understand systems.' Later, he entered an aviation parts company and grew from an operator to a technical support engineer. Change also happens to teachers. A Portuguese automation teacher who went to China for training admitted, "Chinese vocational education emphasizes' learning by doing ', which has helped me re understand the classroom. She has integrated this concept into the classroom, transforming it from a lecture hall to a workshop. On an open day, Portuguese high school students asked about the origin of the Luban Workshop. The stories of ancient Chinese craftsmen have inspired children to aspire to become modern Luban. It can be said that what Lu Ban Workshop has truly gone global is not only the physical equipment, but also the Chinese craftsmanship spirit that transcends culture and touches people's hearts. One workshop, one window - connecting the world and seeing China's aviation, shipbuilding, and automotive manufacturing industries gathered in Setubal. Luban Workshop takes intelligent manufacturing as the starting point, connecting local education and industry, not only cultivating urgently needed technical talents for enterprises, but also laying a solid foundation for Sino Portuguese industrial cooperation. In 2023, the 4th China Portugal Vocational Education Forum will be held here. At the forum, a Portuguese official said, "Today's discussion on Sino Portuguese relations should include jointly cultivating future engineers." The Portuguese Luban Workshop breaks through bilateral cooperation, actively connects with global education issues, promotes the Engineering Practice Innovation Project (EPIP) model, explores international professional standards, and attracts teachers from Portuguese speaking countries to participate in training. Its success demonstrates that international exchange and cooperation in education is a long-term humanistic project that requires time, patience, and trust support. In the distance, the cargo ship from Setubal Port slowly sailed towards the depths of the Atlantic Ocean. The international influence of Chinese education also starts from one workshop after another and heads towards a broader world. (New Society)