400 UNIZIK students earn Chinese govt scholarship

About 400 students of Nnamdi Azikiwe University have gained admission into top Chinese universities through scholarship platform of HANBAN, the Director of the Chinese Cultural and Research Centre, Prof. Wang Bo, said on Thursday, in Awka.

Bo said it was as a result of the bilateral relationship between Nigeria and China which was concretized at the national level, adding that it has opened doors for commerce and economic exchange between the two countries.

The Chinese Attache and Director of China Cultural Centre in Nigeria, Mr. Yan Xiangdong said that the several meetings between his President and President Muhammadu Buhari in the past one year have deepened the relationship between the two countries and is now bearing fruits.

Xiangdong who spoke during the inauguration of Chinese Cultural Research Centre of Nigeria domiciled at Nnamdi Azikiwe Univeristy, said that in the past one year, the President of the Peoples Republic of China has met three times with Buhari and both countries signed four different agreements.

Giving assurances about the future of the centre, he said: “We have built good relationship and we will join hands with you for the growth of the cultural centre domiciled in your university”.

The Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Joseph Ahaneku in his speech traced the beginning of the Cultural Centre to the establishment of the Confucius Institute in the University in 2007 through the instrument of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Chinese Language Council International (HANBAN) and Xiamen University on one hand and UNIZIK on the other hand.

Ahaneku extolled the intention of the centre and pleaded with the Chinese government to offer employment to graduates of the centre who also have other skills acquired from their other degree programmes.

This is because, according to him, without proper engagement they will feel disillusioned.
He also challenged China to use the products of the centre as a base to solve the challenges of communication and be given the opportunity to work in different companies owned by Chinese.

He said: “I look forward to this centre being used as a base for prospective knowledge and knowledge transfer; a base for prospective commercial and technological advancement and a base for true diplomatic Counselor relationship and as an extension of Chinese Embassy in Nigeria”.

Ahaneku also expressed satisfaction with the growth of the Confucius Institute from where over 100 students have gained scholarship to study in China for various degrees and through which 3000 students had accessed Chinese Language Proficiency tests (HSK).

He added: “Henceforth, our windows are wide open to accommodate all academia and researchers who may have China and Nigeria as their case study to come in and explore the opportunities here for their research work”.

In her address, the director of Confucius Institute Prof. Carol Arinze-Umeobi said the Institute has established three Confucius classrooms at Federal Polytechnic, Oko, UNIZIK Primary and High school and at Enugu State College of Education, Technical.
He said the Institute now runs two categories of the programme which included Executive Class for business men and women to meet their business demands in China.