Kenyan university to introduce Chinese language course

Kenya's Management University of Africa (MUA) plans to introduce Chinese language courses in order to meet the growing demand for Chinese language among Kenyan students, officials said on Wednesday.

MUA Vice Chancellor Dr Nicholas Letting told Xinhua in Nairobi that his institution is putting in place to structures to have Chinese language training beginning in 2016.

"The growing influence of China in the global economy has made it prudent for Kenyans to learn Chinese language," Letting said on the sidelines of the third E-Learning Innovations Conference.

The five-day conference brought together participants from 20 countries to review ways accelerate use of digital platforms in the education sector.

Letting said graduates of his institution will have greater chances of succeeding in the job market if they can communicate in Chinese.

He added that Chinese firms are playing a bigger role in the economic development of Kenya.

The Vice Chancellor noted that growing Sino-Kenya commercial ties means both regions will have greater contact.

"So we are encouraging Kenyans to learn and appreciate the Chinese culture so as to benefit from the latest technology," he said.

Letting said that his university also has students from China. "So growing diversity of our students has also contributed to the decision to introduce Chinese language," he said.

The scholar said that Africans can learn a lot from the Chinese by learning their language. "The Chinese have a deep cultural heritage that dates back many centuries," he noted. Endit