On the morning of September 5, President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. He announced that bilateral relations between China and all African countries having diplomatic ties with China are now elevated to the level of strategic relations, and that the overall characterization of China-Africa relations is now elevated to an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era. China will work with Africa to implement the ten partnership initiatives to advance modernization.
Discussing Cooperation: ZHANG Dayu, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Committee and President of BUCEA, attended the annual meeting of the China-Africa Consortium of Universities Exchange Mechanism
On the afternoon of September 5, the China-Africa Consortium of Universities Exchange Mechanism Annual Conference was held at the Beijing International Convention Center. ZHANG Dayu, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Committee and President of BUCEA, was invited to attend and spoke during a panel discussion on “Digital Education and Cross-Cultural Communication: Expanding the International Visibility of China-Africa Universities”. The meeting was also attended and addressed by WU Yan, Vice Minister of China’s Ministry of Education; Adouki, Minister of Higher Education, Research and Technological Innovation of Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville); ZHOU Yu, Vice President of the China Association of Higher Education, Chinese Director of the China-Africa Consortium of Universities Exchange Mechanism, and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering; Wurie, Minister of Technical and Higher Education of Sierra Leone; and Touray, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology of Gambia.
During the panel session, ZHANG Dayu exchanged views with representatives from Egerton University in Kenya, Central South University of China, and the Open University of Kenya, focusing on the theme “Digital Education and Cross-Cultural Communication: Expanding the International Visibility of China-Africa Universities”.
ZHANG Dayu highlighted BUCEA’s achievements in collaboration with Africa, particularly focusing on the development of the Sino-Ethiopian International Talent Training and Practice Base in Civil and Transportation Engineering (hereinafter referred to as “Base”), which represents the integration of industry, education, research, and application. He also shared BUCEA’s innovative practices in educational reform in the areas of digital education and inter-cultural communication.
At the event, the “China-Africa Higher Education Cooperation Collection of Cases” was officially released. BUCEA’s successful collaboration practice with Ethiopia, i.e. “Initiation of Sino-Ethiopian International Talent Training and Practice Base in Civil and Transportation Engineering to deepen Education and Technology Cooperation with East Africa in Civil and Transportation Engineering”, was included.
In May 2024, BUCEA was selected as a key university of China-Africa cooperation in the “Interconnectivity” sector. It was also included in the China-Africa Universities 100 Cooperation Plan and the China-Africa Consortium of Universities Exchange Mechanism.
（https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/j38R-QE2Eh6fhwnsif_9fQ）
In late June, BUCEA, alongside Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa Science and Technology University, and the East Africa Regional Center of China Communications Construction Company, jointly established the Sino-Ethiopian International Talent Training and Practice Base in Civil and Transportation Engineering. The signing of the letter of intent for cooperation among the four parties were witnessed by various leaders from both countries, who also unveiled the Base, marking a new chapter in educational cooperation between China and Ethiopia.
（https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/uOHi7GRcRSWbD9NL6fW3-w）
In July, Khadija Aliyu Umar, an international student at BUCEA from Nigeria, was invited to speak at the Parallel Session “China-Africa Youth Forum on Development, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship” of the Seventh China-Africa People’s Forum and the China-Africa Young Leaders’ Forum.
（https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/51mXFfYQacq83Md0LnSLqw）
Shaping the Future: Engida, President of Addis Ababa Science and Technology University, visited BUCEA
On the morning of September 5, Party Secretary ZHENG Yu, President ZHANG Dayu, and Vice President YANG Jianwei met with President Engida from Addis Ababa Science and Technology University.
ZHENG Yu warmly welcomed President Engida and briefly reviewed the progress and achievements of the two universities. He emphasized that the Base aimed to serve as a high-level platform for cooperation and exchanges between China and Ethiopia in civil and transportation engineering. He also expressed his hope that both universities would leverage their strengths to achieve high-quality educational development.
ZHANG Dayu providing a detailed introduction to BUCEA’s academic strengths and characteristics.
Engida outlined Addis Ababa Science and Technology University (AASTU)’s educational philosophy of “serving industries”. He pointed out that AASTU attached great importance to the construction and development of the Base as well as its partnership with BUCEA.
