CooperationbetweencompaniesanduniversitiestotrainAfricanstudentsinChinaisaformofinnovation.TheengineeringtrainingfitsthedevelopmentofChina’sBeltandRoadInitiative,aswellastheneedsofAfricancountries’development;inaddition,itisaproofofChineseenterprisesimplementingtheirsocialresponsibilityinAfrica.
ZhangWei,DeputyDirectorofInternationalEducationDepartment,Chang’anUniversity
FORMartineDiengAwaandSeydouKaThierno,two18-year-oldclassmatesfromKoldaTowninsouthSenegal,theprospectofstudyingabroadafterhighschoolseemedanunimaginableandalmostimpossibledream.Littledidtheyknowthattheywouldendupafewmonthslaterbeingclassmatesagain,butthistimeinfarawayChina.
Inthemiddleof2016,withgraduationapproaching,AwasawanonlineadvertisementbySenegal’sMinistryofHigherEducationandResearch:theChinesestateownedcompanyChinaRoadandBridgeCorp.(CRBC)wasproviding15scholarshipstohelpSenegalesestudentsgotoChina,andtraintheminbridgeandroadengineeringforfiveyearsatChang’anUniversityinChina’sShaanxiProvince.
Forstudentswhohadjustgraduatedfromhighschool,thiswasaonce-in-a-lifetimeopportunity.AwaandThiernodidnothesitateasecondandsubmittedtheirapplications.
Totheirjoy,thetwoclassmateswereacceptedandendedupinthesameclassatChang’anUniversity.“ThisismyfirsttimeinChina.Iamextremelyhappy,”AwatoldChinAfrica,withadelightedsmile.Assheputsit,shewillneverforgetthejoyuponreceivingtheacceptanceletter.“Iwassonervouswhilewaitingfortheresult.Finally,Ifeltrelieved!”
SheandherclassmateThiernospentthedaysanxiouslywaitingfortheirdepartureforChinaandlookingforwardtocontinuingbeingclassmatesabroad.OnNovember16,AwaandThierno,togetherwith13otherSenegalesestudents,arrivedinShaanxi’scapitalXi’an,anancientculturalcitydatingbackmorethan3,000years.
ThisopportunitywasmadepossiblebytheSenegalbranchofCRBC,whichsignedanagreementwiththeSenegaleseGovernmentonJuly14,2016,tohelptrainSenegalesestudentsinChina.CRBCalsoenteredinpartnershipwithChang’anUniversity,knownforitsstrongengineeringeducationprogram.Accordingtotheagreement,theSenegalesestudents’tuition,transportation,cateringandaccommodationfeesduringtheirtimeatChang’anUniversitywillbefullycoveredbyCRBC.
AselectioncommitteewassetupwithrepresentativesofSenegal’sMinistryofHigherEducationandResearch,MinistryofInfrastructureandLandTransportandCRBC.Theselectionprocesswasrigorous,andonlyyounghighschoolgraduateshavingpassedtheirgraduationexamwitha“fairlygood”markwereselected.“ItishopedthatthisgoodexampleofCRBCwillbeemulatedbyothercompaniesestablishedinSenegal,”MaryTeuwNiane,MinisterofHigherEducationandResearchofSenegal,toldChinAfrica.
AdaptingtoChina
TheyoungSenegalesearenowstudyingChinese,anintensiveimmersionthatwilllastoneyear.“WehavetolearnChinesecharacterswhichhavearelationwiththepronunciation;it’sverydifferentfromourlanguage,”saidAwa.
The15youngpeoplearegroupedtogetherinaspecialclass,andaretaughtbythreeChineseteachers.Languageclassesarerigorous,andateighto’clockinthemorning,Thiernoisalreadysittinginclasswithhisclassmates,wheretheylearntoreadandwriteChinesecharacters.ForThierno,adaptingtotherapidpaceofstudiesinChinaisachallenge.
“IseeChinesestudentsareveryhard-workingfromdaytonight,andthisgavemeastrongimpressionanditencouragesmetofollowtheirexample,”hesaid.TheSenegalesestudentsarepairedwithaChinesepartnerwithwhomtheycanpracticetheirlanguageskills“oneonone.”Althoughtheystillhavetocommunicatewithgesturesafteronlytwomonthsofstudies,Thiernofindsthewholeexperience“veryinteresting.”
AfterayearofstudyingtheChineselanguage,theywillstarttheirstudiesofengineeringforanothertwoyears,stillinaspecialSenegalese-onlyclass.Then,intheirfourthandfifthyears,theywilljoinChineseclassmatesinanormalclass.Forthisgroupofyoungpeopleaged18to22years,learningthelanguageisfundamentalfortheirfuturesuccess.
InadditiontothreeChineseteachers,theyalsohaveatutorwhotakescareoftheireverydaylife.“Theyareveryyoungstudents.Theyareawayfromtheirfamiliesandarelivinginaforeigncountry,sowedoeverythingwecantohelpthemandreducetheirpsychologicalburden,”saidtutorZhangLei.
Tohelpeasetheirhomesickness,AwahasevenstartedcookingtraditionalSenegalesefoodintheirkitchen.
CongolesestudentstakepartinsportingactivitiesatChang’anUniversityCOURTESYPHOTOS
ASenegalesestudentlearnsChineselanguageinaspecialclassNeed-basedtraining
“CooperationbetweencompaniesanduniversitiestotrainAfricanstudentsinChinaisaformofinnovation.TheengineeringtrainingfitsthedevelopmentofChina’sBeltandRoadInitiative,aswellastheneedsofAfricancountries’development;inaddition,itisaproofofChineseenterprisesimplementingtheirsocialresponsibilityinAfrica,”ZhangWei,DeputyDirectorofInternationalEducationDepartmentatChang’anUniversity,toldChinAfrica.
SincethereestablishmentofSino-Senegalesediplomaticrelationsin2005,cooperationbetweenthetwocountriesininfrastructurehasbeensteadilyincreasing,andChinesecompanieshavetakenpartinmanyconstructionprojects,suchashydroelectricpowerstations,residentialbuildings,theaters,highwaysandwatersupplyprojects.
Inrecentyears,astheSenegaleseeconomydevelops,moreandmorelocaltalentsareneededintheconstructionindustry.“OurcooperationwithChinaisbasedontheneedsofourcountry;itisflexibleasitadaptstotheongoingreformsthatfocusontechnologicalsciences,engineeringsciences,[and]mathematics,”saidNiane.
Accordingtotheminister,Senegalhasputinplaceitsownnationalqualityassuranceauthoritywhichempowersandaccreditsthediplomasdeliveredbypublic,privateandforeigneducationalestablishments.Theauthorityrecognizesalldegreesonanequalfooting.StudentsgraduatingfromChinahavenomoredifficultiesthanotherstohavetheirdegreesrecognized,andstudentstrainedthereareknowntobeimmediatelyoperational.
InDecember2015,ChinesePresidentXiJinpingproposed10majorcooperationplansattheJohannesburgSummitoftheForumonChina-AfricaCooperation.Amongthese,thecooperationineducationandhumanresourceshasbeenespeciallyremarkable.ThroughChineseuniversity-companycooperation,youthtraininghashitthemark.BesidetheSenegaleseclass,Chang’anUniversityisalsohometoaCongoleseclass,where100youngstudentsfromtheRepublicoftheCongostudyengineering.
“Wehaveexperiencesinthiskindoftraining.They[theyoungCongolese]arecompetent,andthemostimportantpointisthattheyknowChinaverywellandserveasacommunicationbridgebetweenthetwocountriesforcooperationinthefieldofinfrastructures,”saidZhangWei.
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