Forging closer educational bond
Over the past 50 years, China has forged cooperative relations in the education sector with 50 African countries.
This relationship has expanded from an initial simple exchange of students to the current multi-level educational collaboration that has many forms and covers various fields, said Li Baoping, secretary-general of China's African History Academy.
Li wrote in an academic article that from 1956 to 2006, 18,000 African students received Chinese government scholarship to study in the country.
African children at a kindergarten are proud of their artwork finished with the help of their teachers. |
Meanwhile, from 1956 to the end of 2003, China sent 523 teachers to 35 African nations to teach courses in more than 10 subjects and specialized fields, including science, engineering, agriculture, arts and physical training, in order to help these countries develop the disciplines they were weak in.
From 1995 to 2003, China organized 43 sessions of the "Advanced Education and Scientific Research Program" in 21 African countries. Under this program, 21 comparatively advanced biology, microbiology, computer science, physics, analytical chemistry, food refreshment and processing laboratories were set up in universities in those countries.
China's Zhejiang Agricultural University, which has been merged into Zhejiang University, sent 12 teachers to work in Cameroon in the past years. After eight years of hard work, an advanced microbiology laboratory was set up in the No 1 University of Yaounde, in which China invested $286,000.
The microbiology courses offered have seen a number of students enrolling and receiving training. Thirty-nine candidates have completed their Master's dissertations or doctoral theses, and have begun working in relevant fields.
The holding of specialized seminars and training programs have also been an important part of the China-Africa educational cooperation. By the end of 2003, 18 specialized seminars organized by the Chinese Ministry of Education were held in 14 colleges, universities and scientific research institutions in the continent.
The educational cooperation between China and Africa was brought to a new high at the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation last November.
"China will train 15,000 African professionals, send 100 senior agricultural experts to Africa, and set up 10 special agricultural technology demonstration centers in Africa over the next three years," Chinese President Hu Jintao said at the summit.
He also said that China will dispatch 300 youth volunteers to Africa, build 100 rural schools there, and increase the number of Chinese government scholarships for African students from the current 2,000 per year to 4,000 per year by 2009.
China is committed to honoring the pledges it made at the Sino-African Forum, the Ministry of Commerce had said a day before President Hu embarked on his eight-nation African tour in early February.
Xinhua
(China Daily 05/17/2007 page27)
