This summer, 21 journalists from 8 African countries (Morocco, Senegal, Seychelles, Mauritius, Comoros, Cape Verde, Equatorial Guinea and Benin) came to the Research Center for African Studies of WHU and exchanged opinions with scholars doing Africa Studies from various universities.
This seminar was hosted by the Africa Department of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was organized by Communication University of China for enhancing cooperation among Chinese and African Media. It also provides a channel for African Media to obtain full knowledge of China’s development. WHU was the first stop for these journalists after their trip to Beijing.
On behalf of the host parties, Professor Zhang Yanqiu, the director of the Research Center for African Communication of Communication University of China introduced the journalist seminar and represented the academic achievements of the research center. All the journalists were elites of their countries and the reporters of the China-Africa Think Tank Forum held in Beijing in August. The host invited them to visit French Channel of CGTN, China International Publishing Group and Periodical Office for Africa. The journalist seminar came to Research Center for Africa Study of WHU with the hope to exchange research findings by media of French-speaking African countries with Chinese and international friends.
The Dean of the French Department of Wuhan University introduced that the French Research Center affiliated to the French Department is one of the most promising French research centers in China. Its academic journal “Etudes Francaises (French Studies)” is also a unique interdisciplinary comprehensive research journal in China. Every year, the French Department selects more than ten excellent students to go to France for exchange, and regularly invites senior French scholars to WHU to give lectures.
Professor Wang Zhan, the Director of the African Research Center, introduced the achievements of international exchanges and cooperation by French Department, especially the research achievements of the cooperation with Africa. In WHU, there are three research centers (French Research Center, African Research Center and Sino-French Humanities Exchange Center) affiliated to the French Department that have been approved by the Ministry of Education. WHU is also in close cooperation with French Universities in economics, law and other disciplines, such as the very distinctive "Chinese and French class”.
Some journalists introduced their research achievements and career experiences. Youness SAÂD-ALAMI, a senior journalist of the Moroccan Economics newspaper from Morocco, has won the Moroccan news report award many times and was received by King Hassan VI of Morocco. He said that the journey to China made him a great harvest. His previous understanding of China was flat, however, it has become an all-dimensional and comprehensive one. In his view, China now enjoys rapid development and the people in China are warm-hearted and friendly.
Many Chinese young scholars shared their accomplishments in economy and literature. Topics such as "The way to obtain data" "Views on female images in African literature" and "Carrying out the academic exchanges and cooperation between China and Africa in a more profound way" aroused extensive attention. Scholars and journalists from China and Africa had heated discussions on various issues in different fields, and the atmosphere was active and harmonious.
During their visit in Hubei, the journalist seminar went to Xiaogan and other places to inspect the precision poverty alleviation projects and modern agricultural projects.
Rewritten by Zhao Mengchen, edited by Zhang Shiqi, Shen Yuxi and Hu Sijia
