Roundup: Ambitious Kenyan students set goals for further studies in China

NAIROBI, July 9 (Xinhua) 

A group of 52 Kenyan students who have applied for the Chinese government scholarships wrapped up a two-day seminar at Kenya's port city, Mombasa, on Sunday, with the participants expressing their willingness to promote the friendship between the two countries.

Over the weekend, the students visited the Global Trade Center in Nairobi, the capital of the East African country, and Afristar, the company operating the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), two flagship projects highlighting China-Kenya cooperation.

Officials from Kenya's Ministry of Education, the Chinese Embassy in Nairobi and the Kenya-China Alumni Association also joined the discussion at the seminar.

The students who are set to pursue their studies in universities across China vowed to make full use of the opportunity and serve as ambassadors for friendship between the two countries to enhance bilateral cooperation featuring sincerity, real results, amity and good faith.

Darius Mogaka Ogutu, director of Higher Education at the Ministry of Education, said he was grateful to the Chinese government for providing scholarships for Kenyan students.

"This is an opportunity for you to shine, for you to come back to share (what you have learnt), and build your country and encourage more people," Ogutu said, adding that thousands of Kenyan youths have pursued their higher education in China and contributed a lot in their fields.

During the seminar, Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Zhou Pingjian told the students that understanding China's people-centered philosophy will greatly help them understand the nation and better pursue their studies.

Underlining the long-lasting friendship between China and Kenya, Zhou said every Kenyan student in China is an envoy of the people-to-people exchange. 

He encouraged all students to strive for promoting in-depth development of the comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership between the two countries.

Elizabeth Sambasi who applied for an undergraduate degree in data science and dig data technology at Donghua University in Shanghai told Xinhua that cooperation between the two countries ranges from infrastructure construction to science and technology. 

"China's development in the field of data science is leading the world. And China is the safest country in the world," said the 21-year-old student. "Studying in China is the best choice for me."

Jacob Oloo has applied for a PhD in information technology from several universities in Beijing. "It is always good to be part of China's development. China is taking up the whole world in terms of technology. Being a student of technology and public management, I would like to go and get a quality education and come back to Kenya and help my country to progress in the economy."

Since 1982, the Chinese government has provided scholarships for thousands of Kenyan students. 

Cavince Adhere, a Kenyan scholar on international relations and a recipient of the scholarship, expressed his hope that the students would cherish the opportunity to study in China, make contributions in their respective professional fields and live up to the expectations of the Chinese and Kenyan governments.

"China is developing rapidly, and China's development model may be applied to African countries, and young people should seize the opportunity to explore China and study hard," Adhere said.