Although China stopped publishing regional scholarship data in 2008, our data analysis using the 2003-2008 data to generate scholarship estimates suggests that this target is on the way to being met. China seems to be upholding the pledges made towards African education.
Mutual Benefit - in education and business
For the Chinese government,
providing education to Africans is an extension of
China's soft power -- cultivating the
next generation of African scholars and elites. The experience that these students get in China can translate into a willingness to work with China and view China's internal or external policies favorably in the future.
But what do African students gain in return?
China-Africa scholars have
found that students head to China for many reasons. Some simply go to pursue an education that is affordable, even without a scholarship, while others go for the chance to develop business connections or learn the language of a country presumed to be a rising power.
Based on
several surveys, most students tend to be enrolled in Chinese-language courses or engineering degrees. The preference for engineering may be due to the fact that many engineering programs offered by Chinese universities for international students are
taught in English.
The quality of education has received mixed reviews. Some studies have shown that African students are
generally satisfied with their Chinese education, as long as they can overcome the
language barriers.
Othersfound that even if students were not impressed with their education, they appreciated the
trade and
business opportunities that a Chinese education made available to them back home.
The next generation
It's difficult to know exactly which African countries are sending the most students to China. These details are not kept by the Chinese Ministry of Education. But the statistics from
Tsinghua University provide an insight. In the 2015-2016 academic year, the majority of the university's 111 African students came from Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Morocco, Eritrea, and Cameroon -- slightly favouring East Africa.
African students in France
overwhelmingly come from francophone West Africa. If Tsinghua's profile holds true for the larger African student body in China, it means China is an increasingly important player in the education of countries outside of West Africa.
Due to Chinese visa rules, most international students cannot stay in China after their education is complete. This prevents
brain-drain and means that China is educating a generation of African students who -- unlike their counterparts in France, the US or UK -- are
more likely to return home and bring their new education and skills with them.
It's still too early to tell how these new dynamics might be shaping geopolitics on the continent.
Note: The original, untranslated Chinese Ministry of Education reports are available as follows: 2003,2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. The Ministry archives were missing reports for 2010 and 2013. Student numbers for these years were calculated using the percent-growth reported in 2011 and 2014 reports, respectively.