Higher education lays the foundation for China-Africa collaboration
Beijing Institute of Technology has seen how educational exchanges, industry partnerships and student friendships benefit both China and Africa
Beijing Institute of Technology
Separated by numerous linguistic, cultural and economic differences, China and the African continent may not initially seem like natural partners. In reality, however, bonds between the two regions are developing all the time, and higher education is often a starting point for them.
Serving as a hub for China-Africa educational exchange, Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT) has welcomed a multitude of international students from Africa who have contributed enormously to the institution’s successes. For instance, during the 2018 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation held in Beijing students from across Africa, including Egypt, Ethiopia and Uganda, spoke of their positive experiences in the country, as well as their ongoing hopes for deeper cooperation.
The friendships cultivated by students are important to the educational exchanges between China and Africa. With nearly one-fifth of BIT’s international students coming from Africa, many have represented the university in global competitions, built lifelong friendships with Chinese students and helped create a vibrant atmosphere on campus.
Through the Study in BIT action plan, the university has promoted enrolment in several major African countries, actively cooperated with local universities, and attracted many talented students from Africa. It is hoped that personal friendships between students can act as a bridge between China and countries in Africa, with many BIT graduates keen to promote the university as a destination for African students.
Ensuring that the collaboration between Africa and China continues beyond academia, in 2024, BIT and China Communications Construction Company signed a cooperation agreement for the joint construction of the Study in BIT - Uganda workstation. The partnership will further promote the deep integration of international talent training between schools and enterprises in both markets and contribute to China’s Belt and Road initiative, which has already been responsible for various infrastructure projects across the African continent.
Similarly, 2024 also saw BIT host the fifth Belt and Road State Talent Cultivation Bases Programme, involving 19 distinguished secondary school principals and representatives from countries including Malaysia, Indonesia, Mongolia, Thailand and South Africa. The event strengthened BIT’s connection with African educators and institutions, with the university holding lectures and sessions for participants where they could engage with BIT’s international student cohort.
Keen to show that the cooperation between China and Africa will continue to evolve, an international forum on the theme of Key Qualities of Adolescents in the Era of Artificial Intelligence was held during the opening ceremony of last year’s Belt and Road Talent Cultivation programme. The forum highlighted the opportunities and challenges of AI in education, a topic that is already reverberating throughout the sector and will no doubt impact future partnerships involving students, universities and industry from China and Africa.
For many years, BIT students have proudly acted as ambassadors of friendship and cooperation between China and Africa. Whether these students are domestic or international, their openness to sharing cultural touchpoints – modern or traditional – continues to strengthen education and industry in both regions. Africa, China, and the rest of the world will reap the benefits.