Elite Chinese university to strengthen academic exchanges with African schools

Compared to the visible presence of leading Chinese companies across Africa, Chinese universities, notably the elite schools, are taking baby steps in their engagement with Africa. But surely they are coming.

Leading a delegation to South Africa and Zimbabwe, a top official of the Renmin University of China (RUC) said her school would place a premium on academic cooperation with African counterparts, increasing staff and student exchanges while cooperating on joint research programs.

Jin Nuo, chairwoman of the university council of RUC, told reporters in Harare Thursday that two exchange programs are already underway between RUC and University of Zimbabwe (UZ) which allow lecturers from one school to teach and do research on the other's campus.

RUC, the Beijing-based university reputed for its economic and social studies, sent associate professor in the Department Economics Zhen Feng to UZ on a six-month program last year, during which Zimbabwean students interacted with Zhen, who was once a visiting scholar to the Netherlands.

"We would like to see influential African university professors to give lectures in RUC as well," Jin said, adding RUC is open to conduct joint researches with African partners on key international research topics.

The RUC currently runs a Confucius Institute with the University of Zimbabwe, the only one of the RUC's 13 overseas Confucius Institutes in Africa. It also has exchange programs with four other African universities - University of Nairobi, University of Lagos, University of Stellenbosch and Cairo University.

"We welcome more African universities to cooperate with RUC," Jin said, "Back at home, we will provide stimulus to motivate professors and students to take on African studies."

Since its inception in 2007, the Confucius Institute at UZ has trained 2,000 students on the Mandarin language and sent over 100 Zimbabweans to RUC for short-term exposure programs or long-term degree studies on scholarship.

Levy Nyagura, Vice Chancellor of University of Zimbabwe, applauded RUC's role in advancing bilateral academic exchanges and sought its continued support for UZ's plan to roll out Bachelor's and Master's degree studies in Mandarin and to introduce Mandarin classes to primary and secondary schools across the country.

In a number of occasions, Nyagura encouraged Zimbabwean students to at least learn the Mandarin language, not just for better job prospective but also a chance to integrate into the future global community.

"It is obvious that the Chinese will play a key role in global economy," Nyagura said. "Young people, if you want to be part of the future global community, you must take Chinese learning seriously." Endit