Need-based training

“Cooperation between companies and universities to train African students in China is a form of innovation. The engineering training fits the development of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, as well as the needs of African countries’ development; in addition, it is a proof of Chinese enterprises implementing their social responsibility in Africa,” Zhang Wei, Deputy Director of International Education Department at Chang’an University, told Chinafrica.

Since the reestablishment of Sino-senegalese diplomatic relations in 2005, cooperation between the two countries in infrastructure has been steadily increasing, and Chinese companies have taken part in many construction projects, such as hydroelectric power stations, residential buildings, theaters, highways and water supply projects.

In recent years, as the Senegalese economy develops, more and more local talents are needed in the construction industry. “Our cooperation with China is based on the needs of our country; it is flexible as it adapts to the ongoing reforms that focus on technological sciences, engineering sciences, [and] mathematics,” said Niane.

According to the minister, Senegal has put in place its own national quality assurance authority which empowers and accredits the diplomas delivered by public, private and foreign educational establishments. The authority recognizes all degrees on an equal footing. Students graduating from China have no more difficulties than others to have their degrees recognized, and students trained there are known to be immediately operational.

In December 2015, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed 10 major cooperation plans at the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-africa Cooperation. Among these, the cooperation in education and human resources has been especially remarkable. Through Chinese university-company cooperation, youth training has hit the mark. Beside the Senegalese class, Chang’an University is also home to a Congolese class, where 100 young students from the Republic of the Congo study engineering.

“We have experiences in this kind of training. They [the young Congolese] are competent, and the most important point is that they know China very well and serve as a communication bridge between the two countries for cooperation in the field of infrastructures,” said Zhang Wei. Comments to glj@chinafrica.cn