The Chinese government has widened its partnership with Kenya by sponsoring 20 Egerton University students to help them pursue their dreams courtesy of the Chinese Ambassador’s scholarship programme.
The scholarship programme that targets only undergraduate students under the Government Sponsored (Module 1) Category was started in 2013, with the students being selected after a verification assessment of their family backgrounds to ascertain genuine needy cases.
Acting Chinese Ambassador to Kenya, Zhang Zhizhong challenged the scholarship recipients to aim at improving society by being agents of positive change.
“Despite challenges you are facing while pursuing your education, stand out and be the ones who transform not only Kenya, but also Africa at large,” the ambassador advised.
Zhizhong spoke at the Egerton University’s Njoro Campus when he presented the awards to the students, who he said will be the force behind stronger China-Kenya relations.
Egerton University has enjoyed cordial relations with the Chinese government for over 12 years, with the cooperation resulting in the establishment of the Confucius Institute in 2012, where Chinese language and culture are being taught.
There are currently four Confucius Institutes in Kenya, with the rest at the University of Nairobi, as well as Kenyatta and Moi universities.
The Confucius Institutes also provide students with networking, job opportunities, and internships, especially in Chinese businesses operating in Kenya.
The envoy, who was flanked by Egerton University’s acting Deputy Vice Chancellor Administration Finance and Planning Professor Richard Mulwa, Kenya’s Director of Confucius Institute (CI) Professor Joshua Ogweno, and Director of Marketing and Resource Mobilisation Professor Nzula Kitaka, further noted that a lot of Kenyan students who graduated from Chinese universities have been performing prominently in their careers and have become the backbone of Kenya’s development.
Zhizhong was happy that China had become one of the most favourable destinations for Kenyan students, with the China-Kenya relations said to become brighter in the future.
To be eligible for the Chinese Ambassador’s scholarship programme, one has to be a registered and regular needy student (first year to sixth year), with an excellent academic record and an individual of impeccable character. He/she must be a non-beneficiary of any other scholarship in the previous and current academic year.
In August this year, the Government of the People’s Republic of China offered 30 Chinese Ambassador Scholarships for the academic year 2023/2024 for Kenyan undergraduate students studying at the University of Nairobi.
Zhizhong said China’s policy on Africa is based on working with the continent to pursue shared interests.
The ambassador said that his country will continue supporting the education and agricultural sectors so that Kenya can grow her food basket.
He said agricultural courses could propel their country towards food stability as China takes agriculture seriously and is using technology to produce food for local and commercial use.
“The People’s Republic of China has worked hard and grown her economy to 18 per cent of the global Gross Domestic Product cumulative average,” he pointed out.
The ambassador said his government had noted an increased interest in the Chinese language by local students and citizens at large. He said the Chinese government will continue to support learning of the Chinese language and research activities in local universities to foster the bilateral relationship between Beijing and Nairobi.
Egerton University Deputy Vice Chancellor Administration Finance and Planning Professor Richard Mulwa, noted that through the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in China, a Sh100 Million Road and the Belt Molecular Laboratory had been established at the university’s Faculty of Agriculture.
“This is a laboratory with state-of-the-art equipment that is not found in any other institution in the country. Currently, the lab is being used extensively in advanced Crop and Livestock Research by staff, students, among other areas of research, and partners like the Kenya Agricultural Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) and other Universities,” stated the Acting Vice chancellor.
The Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation was designed to establish a network of railways, roads, pipelines, and utility grids that would link China to the rest of the world. It also injected billions of dollars in international transportation infrastructure stretching across Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Africa.
Initiative, with a spotlight on Africa, also focused on trade, finance and investment, agriculture and manufacturing, connectivity of infrastructure and facilities, ecological and environmental protection, and lastly, tourism, cultural, social, and educational exchanges. Added Prof. Mulwa.
The Acting Deputy Chancellor said the award of the scholarship is a demonstration of strong ties between the university and the Chinese government.
According to professor Mulwa, the Road and the Belt Molecular Laboratory has also become an important platform for China-Africa scientific and technological cooperation as well as an incubator for Kenyan young talents.
He hailed the Chinese government for playing a major role in vocational education in Kenya by providing equipment, funding, and cooperating with institutions and universities to train mechanical engineers, electricians, and automation professionals each year.
By Esther Mwangi and Felistars Kahungu
