Changsha forum calls for closer China-Africa ties in higher education

A forum focusing on China-Africa cooperation in higher education opened on Thursday in Changsha, Hunan province, bringing together university leaders from China and Africa.

The China-Africa University Presidents Forum on Frontiers of Education Development was hosted by Hunan University. It attracted representatives from 15 universities across 13 African countries, including the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and the University of Nairobi in Kenya.

This year is the China-Africa Year of Cultural and People-to-People Exchanges, marking the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and African countries, beginning when Egypt became the first African nation to open official ties with Beijing in 1956.

In his opening address, Jiang Chao, vice-president of Hunan University, emphasized that cooperation in higher education serves as a vital spiritual bond for the China-Africa community with a shared future. "It is important that we work on the basis of equality and mutual learning, carry out joint research in key areas such as digital technology, healthcare, engineering, and trade, strengthen local talent cultivation, and turn the consensus we reach today into real, tangible results," he said.