Donghua University plays leading role in fostering cooperation
Donghua University is spearheading innovative strategies to bolster China-Africa collaboration.
In May 2024, Donghua University was selected as a member of the China-Africa Universities 100 Cooperation Plan and the China-Africa Consortium of Universities Exchange Mechanism. The former is a project to implement the major initiative of the Plan for China-Africa Cooperation on Talent Development, based on the "China-Africa Universities 20+20 Cooperation Plan". Application for the plan and its selection are organized by the China Association of Higher Education under the guidance of the Department of International Cooperation and Exchanges of the Ministry of Education.
The plan involves 10 fields, including digital education, health, agricultural development, trade and investment, mineral resources, connectivity, environment and sustainable development, language, culture and civilization, governance and social management, and media communication and national image. African partner institutions and Donghua University will carry out cooperation in digital education. Empowering local education, Donghua has provided support via its construction of smart classrooms in Kenya.
On July 22, the unveiling ceremony for the "Shanghai Love Classroom "took place at Moi University in Kenya. Distinguished attendees included Shang Yuying, deputy secretary-general of the Shanghai government; Yan Bo, chief of the Shanghai Bureau of Ecology and Environment; Chen Ge, vice-president of Donghua University; Isaac Kosgey, vice-chancellor of Moi University; and Isaac Kimengi, deputy vice-chancellor of Moi University in charge of academics, research and extension affairs.
The "Shanghai Love Classroom "project, initiated by the Shanghai Soong Ching Ling Foundation, aims to promote the Belt and Road Initiative and implement a series of public welfare projects to spread the philanthropic philosophy of Soong Ching Ling worldwide. Supported by the Shanghai Soong Ching Ling Foundation and Shanghai-based JuneYao Group, Donghua University donated electronic classroom facilities to Moi University, including touch-integrated video screens, remote direct recording systems, and audio equipment, so as to establish standardized smart classrooms. This contribution is expected to significantly enhance the digital education capabilities at Moi University and explore innovative paths for international educational cooperation.
As the implementing organization for the "Shanghai Love Classroom" project, Donghua University has consistently leveraged its academic strengths to promote global educational equity through digital empowerment. Utilizing smart classrooms, virtual teaching and research platforms, and virtual simulation training platforms, Donghua has collaborated with more than 40 specialized institutions in textiles, materials and fashion from 19 countries to conduct online training programs, offer premium online courses, and has hosted nine sessions of the Sino-Africa International Symposium on Textiles and Apparel and Sino-Africa Cultural Exchange Forum, as well as four sessions of the Advanced Seminar for Textile Industry International Cooperation (BR-TIIC). These initiatives have driven the development of an emerging engineering education community of the textile industry in the digital era.
As well, the university established the China-Africa Regional Cooperation Center for Digital Education. In September 2024, the China-Africa Consortium of Universities Exchange Mechanism Annual Conference was held in Beijing. With a memorandum of understanding on cooperation signed, the China-Africa Regional Cooperation Center for Digital Education was jointly founded by Donghua University, the Open University of China and the Open University of Kenya. The signing ceremony was chaired by Guan Peijun, vice-president of the China Association of Higher Education and former deputy ministerial-level member of the National Ethnic Affairs Commission. Signatories included Chen Ge, vice-president of Donghua University, Fan Xianrui, vice-president of the Open University of China and Caroline Omulando, deputy vice-chancellor of the Open University of Kenya.
The China-Africa Regional Cooperation Center for Digital Education has been established to promote China-Africa cooperation in the field of digital education, and to cultivate talents of all kinds by utilizing digital technology, as well as by developing academic and nonacademic education projects. A demonstrative platform will be built to lead digital education in the universities of both countries.
Based on the overseas learning center platform of the Open University of China, a complete system of China-Africa digital education is planned, involving the establishment of a digital education community for teaching-production cooperation and practice. The cooperation covers the joint construction of the Kenya Open Learning Centre subordinate to the Open University of China, as well as the further improvement of facilities, such as specialized classrooms, teaching laboratories and video interactive systems, to be commonly achieved by partner institutions in Africa. What's more, the center will make use of multimodal educational and teaching data to provide support for the development and application of major artificial intelligence models.
This cooperation has been supported by Lenovo Group, iFlytek, Chengdu-headquartered Sobey, Huawei, JuneYao Group and Shanghai Soong Ching Ling Foundation, as well as others, to jointly provide educational technology and smart education solutions for Africa and help African countries develop high-quality education.
