China Focus: African students pursue dreams, build future in China Xinhua 中国聚焦:非洲学子追梦中国,共筑未来(新华社)

October 30, 2024•4 minute read

BEIJING, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) — The memory of the first time she saw the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), stretching across the vast African plains, still lingered vividly in Mercy Nyaruiru Mburu’s mind.

新华社北京 10 月 11 日电 —— 梅西・尼亚鲁鲁・姆布鲁仍然清晰地记得她第一次看到蒙巴萨 – 内罗毕标准轨距铁路（SGR）的情景，这条铁路横跨广阔的非洲平原。

The thrill and awe she felt that day in 2018 were unforgettable. “It was magnificent and I was deeply impressed,” she recalled.

2018 年那天她感受到的激动和敬畏令人难以忘怀。“它很壮观，给我留下了深刻的印象。” 她回忆道

Today, 26-year-old Mburu is pursuing a master’s degree in traffic and transportation at Beijing Jiaotong University, inspired by the very railway that ignited her passion for infrastructure and innovation.

如今，26 岁的姆布鲁正在北京交通大学攻读交通运输硕士学位，正是这条激发了她对基础设施和创新热情的铁路给了她启发。

The Chinese-built Mombasa-Nairobi SGR has been a catalyst for transformation in Kenya since its launch in 2017. It has been operating seamlessly for over seven years, ferrying millions of passengers and thousands of tonnes of goods, and contributing significantly to Kenya’s socio-economic growth.

中国建造的蒙巴萨 – 内罗毕标准轨距铁路自 2017 年开通以来，一直是肯尼亚转型的催化剂。它已经平稳运行了七年多，运送了数百万乘客和数千吨货物，为肯尼亚的社会经济增长做出了重大贡献。

“For me, the railway represents growth, friendship and togetherness. It brings the much-needed convenience in public and cargo transportation to Kenyan people and serves as an example of China-Africa cooperation,” said Mburu.

“对我来说，这条铁路代表着增长、友谊和团结。它为肯尼亚人民的公共交通和货物运输带来了急需的便利，是中非合作的一个范例。” 姆布鲁说。

“Kenya has much potential for roads, railways and subways and we need expertise to develop skills. I will return to Kenya and use what I learned to help my country get to where we want to be,” Mburu added when discussing her plan after graduation.

“肯尼亚在公路、铁路和地铁方面有很大潜力，我们需要专业知识来发展技能。毕业后我将回到肯尼亚，用我所学的知识帮助我的国家实现目标。” 姆布鲁在谈到她毕业后的计划时补充道。

As China continues to rise as a global hub for education and innovation, it has also become a land of opportunity for students from across Africa to chase their dreams, and Mburu is one of them.

随着中国继续崛起为全球教育和创新中心，它也成为了非洲各地学生追逐梦想的机遇之地，姆布鲁就是其中之一。

The increase in scholarships and educational opportunities for African students in China has enabled thousands of young Africans to gain advanced skills and knowledge in fields like engineering, medicine, and environmental science, said Rodrigue Tene Taling, executive director of the Center for African Films and TV under the Institute of African Studies at Zhejiang Normal University, in a recent interview with Xinhua.

浙江师范大学非洲研究院非洲影视研究中心执行主任罗德里格・特内・塔林在最近接受新华社采访时表示，中国为非洲学生提供的奖学金和教育机会不断增加，使数千名非洲年轻人能够在工程、医学和环境科学等领域获得先进的技能和知识。

“This has not only empowered these individuals but has also created a new generation of African professionals who are equipped to drive progress in their home countries. Moreover, these academic exchanges have facilitated cultural understanding and fostered long-term relationships between African and Chinese scholars, which are essential for sustainable cooperation,” Taling said.

“这不仅赋予了这些人力量，还培养了新一代非洲专业人士，他们有能力推动自己国家的进步。此外，这些学术交流促进了文化理解，培养了非洲和中国学者之间的长期关系，这对可持续合作至关重要。” 塔林说。

In a new move, an initiative for China-Africa cooperation in education was also launched during the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), calling for reinforcing educational collaboration and jointly promoting educational modernization.

在一项新举措中，2024 年中非合作论坛峰会期间还启动了中非教育合作倡议，呼吁加强教育合作，共同推动教育现代化。

For years, China has opened doors for African students to pursue higher education in fields that directly benefit their home countries. Many students, like Mburu, are gaining expertise in sectors such as engineering, agriculture, and healthcare — areas where China has offered substantial technical assistance to Africa.

多年来，中国为非洲学生在直接造福其本国的领域追求高等教育敞开了大门。许多像姆布鲁这样的学生正在工程、农业和医疗保健等领域获得专业知识 —— 中国在这些领域向非洲提供了大量技术援助。

Onodu Onyebuchi Emmanuel, 25, began his studies at Changchun University of Chinese Medicine in northeast China’s Jilin Province in 2016.

25 岁的奥诺杜・奥尼贝奇・伊曼纽尔于 2016 年开始在中国吉林省的长春中医药大学学习。

Hailing from Nigeria, Emmanuel has witnessed the selfless dedication and professionalism of the Chinese medical teams sent to his country.

来自尼日利亚的伊曼纽尔见证了派往他的国家的中国医疗队的无私奉献和专业精神。

“I know the practice has been going on for decades. The team members leave their homes and travel so far to help treat the people of Africa, improving local healthcare and saving countless lives. It’s truly remarkable,” he said.

“我知道这种做法已经持续了几十年。医疗队成员离开自己的家，远道而来帮助治疗非洲人民，改善当地的医疗保健状况，拯救了无数生命。这真的很了不起。” 他说。

After eight years of study in China, he is now a young medical intern at Jilin Provincial People’s Hospital in Changchun, where his attentive care for patients has earned their deep gratitude.

在中国学习了八年后，他现在是长春吉林省人民医院的一名年轻实习医生，他对病人的悉心照料赢得了他们的深深感激。

“As cooperation between our two countries deepens, I hope our people can gain access to traditional Chinese medicine and benefit from it. I will help promote the spread of traditional Chinese medicine in Africa,” said Emmanuel.

“随着我们两国合作的不断深化，我希望我们的人民能够获得传统中医药并从中受益。我将帮助促进传统中医药在非洲的传播。” 伊曼纽尔说。

Inspired by the late legendary Chinese scientist Yuan Longping, known as the “father of hybrid rice,” Gatera Anicet from Rwanda is determined to contribute to solving Africa’s food problem.

受到被称为 “杂交水稻之父” 的中国已故传奇科学家袁隆平的启发，来自卢旺达的加特拉・阿尼塞特决心为解决非洲的粮食问题做出贡献。

“I want to be Africa’s Yuan Longping,” said the 31-year-old doctoral student studying at Anhui Agricultural University in eastern Anhui Province.

“我想成为非洲的袁隆平。” 这位在安徽省东部的安徽农业大学攻读博士学位的 31 岁学生说。

“In China, people have easy access to crops like rice, corn and sweet potato, but crops are expensive in Rwanda,” said Anicet, adding that he aims to develop more heat-resistant varieties for his motherland, a landlocked African country struggling with food shortages.

“在中国，人们很容易获得水稻、玉米和红薯等农作物，但在卢旺达农作物很贵。” 阿尼塞特说，他的目标是为他的祖国开发更耐热的品种，卢旺达是一个内陆非洲国家，正在与粮食短缺作斗争。

In order to achieve his ambitious goal, Anicet concentrates on learning food crop cultivation techniques in China.

为了实现他的宏伟目标，阿尼塞特专注于在中国学习粮食作物种植技术。

“I want to establish an agricultural research institute in Rwanda to develop high-yield corn varieties and train more agricultural professionals,” Anicet said.

“我想在卢旺达建立一个农业研究所，开发高产玉米品种，并培训更多的农业专业人员。” 阿尼塞特说。

“China’s development shows us that we can overcome poverty and backwardness. Hopefully, one day, Africa will achieve food self-sufficiency and abundant harvests,” Anicet added.

“中国的发展向我们表明，我们可以克服贫困和落后。希望有一天，非洲将实现粮食自给自足和丰收。” 阿尼塞特补充道。