Peking University, Mar. 31, 2013: Nine representatives from six African countries, including Nigeria, Tanzania, Congo, Senegal, Zambia, and Kenya, of the African International Joint Press Delegation visited Peking University on Mar. 20, 2013.

A seminar was held with the attendance of Professor Li Anshan, chairman of Center for African Studies, PKU School of International Studies , Professor Pan Qionghua from the Department Of History, several African students studying at PKU, and students from the Institute of Asian and African Languages and Literature, PKU School of Foreign Languages.

At the beginning of the seminar, Professor Li Anshan introduced the history of PKU’s cooperation with African countries, saying that a series of programs had been carried out, including inviting Mr. Fantu Cheru, academic director of the Nordic Africa Institute, to lecture at PKU, publishing the magazine Peking University African Telecommunications, organizing the program of “Assessing China-Africa Cooperation from the Perspective of Sustainable Development,” etc.

Mr. Anthony Lubinda Mukwita, editor-in-chief of Daily Mail Zambia, head of the joint press delegation, said, “Although Africa is across oceans, African people would like to know more about China and its development. Hope our delegation’s report afterwards would help our people to have a better understanding of China.”

During the Q & A session, members of the delegation asked about African students’ studying in China. The four African students present acknowledged that language learning is the major difficulty, yet to their surprise, there is much in common in history, culture, and even written words. Among them, a doctoral student expressed his wish to know more about Chinese culture and contribute to the fulfillment of “China-Africa dream” to develop in joint effort.

Students from the Institute of Asian and African Languages and Literature greeted the guests in Swahili, before they introduced the teaching environment of African languages and literature at PKU.

Written by: Guo Caichen

Edited by: Zhao Ning

Source: PKU News (Chinese)