Uganda’s premier university hosts academic conference on China-Africa cultural exchange and mutual learning

STORY: Uganda’s top university hosts academic conference on China-Africa cultural exchange and mutual learning

SHOOTING TIME: August 12, 2024

DATE: August 14, 2024

LENGTH: 00:04:24

LOCATION: Kampala

CATEGORY: CULTURE/EDUCATIONPHOTO LIST:

1. Various from Makerere University, Uganda

2. various conference openings

3. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): YANG JINCAI, professor at Nanjing University

4. various conferences

5. REVIEW 2 (in English): SHU QIZHI, Dean of the Faculty of Foreign Languages, Xiangtan University

6. various conferences

7. QUOTE 3 (in English): ZHANG LIZHONG, Chinese Ambassador to Uganda

8. various conferences

9. QUOTE 4 (in English): GILBERT GUMOSHABE, Ugandan Director of the Confucius Institute at Makerere University

10. Various parts of the conference HISTORY: Academics from Uganda’s Makerere University and several Chinese institutions, including Xiangtan University, gathered in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, for a conference focused on strengthening cultural exchanges and mutual understanding between China and Africa. Buyinza Mukadasi, speaking on behalf of Makerere University’s vice-chancellor, noted that the conference, held on Monday, coincides with the 10th anniversary of the Confucius Institute at Makerere University. Jointly established by Xiangtan University and Makerere University and inaugurated in December 2014, the institute has served as a key platform for cultural exchanges, bridging the gap between China and Uganda and promoting global citizenship. During the conference, academics discussed and shared research on language, literature and cultural exchanges between Chinese and Africans. QUOTE 1 (Chinese): YANG JINCAI, professor at Nanjing University

“This conference, which is held before the upcoming Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit, is, in my opinion, very significant. This event has invited Chinese scholars specializing in African literature and China-Africa relations to discuss these issues, making it a truly good cultural exchange activity.” Mr. Biling, President of Xiangtan University, addressed the conference participants via video link, emphasizing Xiangtan’s significant role in trade, cultural exchange and technical cooperation between China and Africa, as well as China and Uganda. He emphasized that deepening cooperation between China and Africa can lead to significant progress in solving global problems such as poverty reduction, improving prosperity, improving the environment and protecting cultural diversity. VOICE 2 (in English): SHU QIZHI, Dean of the Faculty of Foreign Languages, Xiangtan University

“Although we are separated by thousands of miles, our exchanges with Africa have a long history. In line with China’s opening-up policy, the school is committed to promoting cultural exchanges and cooperation between China and Africa, engaging in the Hunan-Africa Provincial Cooperation Project and Xiangtan University’s African Studies.” Chinese Ambassador to Uganda Zhang Lizhong noted that people-to-people exchanges were crucial to strengthening bilateral relations. Since the establishment of the Confucius Institute at Makerere University, some 68 Chinese teachers have come to Uganda, training more than 20,000 Ugandans in Mandarin and 177 local Mandarin teachers. QUOTE 3 (in English): ZHANG LIZHONG, Chinese Ambassador to Uganda

“People-to-people exchanges between China and Uganda have played a very important role in our very close friendly relations between China and Uganda. I want to mention several sectors. In the education sector, the Chinese government sponsors dozens of Ugandan students to study in China on full scholarship every year.” “Bridges are being built to bring our people and hearts closer together,” Zhang said, noting that cooperation in education, healthcare and vocational training has yielded fruitful results. He also mentioned that China’s Global Civilization Initiative has been welcomed by African countries, including Uganda. “We hope that by taking the opportunity of the upcoming Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing, China and Uganda can consolidate traditional friendship, strengthen pragmatic cooperation and further elevate bilateral relations,” Zhang said. Gilbert Gumoshabe, Ugandan director of the Confucius Institute at Makerere University, told Xinhua that the academic symposium plays a key role in deepening cultural understanding between the two nations. QUOTE 4 (in English): GILBERT GUMOSHABE, Ugandan director of the Confucius Institute at Makerere University

“With the FOCAC meeting coming up, we definitely have a lot of expectations. As academia, as Confucius Institutes, we expect more mutual strengthening of our relations. This is when the promotion of China and Uganda comes into play, and they look at the cultural aspects of China and Uganda, and we get what they call ‘indigenous knowledge’ to see how we can enhance development, how we can bring about mutual understanding between the two peoples.” “Understanding our cultures, understanding the cultural values ​​of the Chinese people makes the world a better place, because it is mutual understanding, not imposition,” Gumoshabe said. The conference was attended by professors, doctors and deans from China’s Nanjing University, Shanghai Normal University, Zhejiang Normal University, Hohai University and Xiangtan University. Xinhua news agency correspondents reporting from Kampala.

(XH TV)