On June 13, Governor of Jiangsu Provincial People’s Government Xu Kunlin met with delegations of African diplomatic envoys in Nanjing. Secretary of the CPC Jiangsu University (JSU) Committee Li Hongbo attended the meeting.

Governor Xu expressed a warm welcome to the representatives and made a brief introduction of Jiangsu’s economic and social development. Noting that China and Africa have a long-standing friendship, which is growing steadily, he pointed out that, under the guidance of the principles of China’s Africa policy – sincerity, real results, amity and good faith, and the principles of pursuing the greater good in the pursuit of shared interests, the relationship between Jiangsu and Africa has moved onto the fast track.

Noting that this year marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative and the China-Africa relationship has reached a new historical starting point, Governor Xu expressed that, under the guidance of the China-Africa comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership and the plans of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jiangsu is ready to work jointly with all ambassadors for the implementation of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation outcomes, the promotion of the nine programs, the further construction of communication platforms, the advancement of cooperation in economy and trade, the increase of people-to-people exchanges, so as to realize win-win cooperation and common development.

Governor Xu also said that he hoped they have the opportunity to travel around and learn more about today’s Jiangsu, to experience personally its development and to publicize and introduce Jiangsu, making greater contributions to the formation of a closer China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era.

In recent years, JSU acts in the spirit of Xi Jinping’s proposals, implement the Belt and Road Education Action and effectively strengthen educational cooperation and exchange with Africa. Till now, JSU has built relations with 38 African colleges, universities and research institutes, including University of Nigeria, University of Zambia, University of Namibia and University of Zimbabwe, with a total number of 3761, accounting 44.15 percent of all international students in the JSU.

Since 2020, JSU has signed agreements about teacher training with 40 prestigious universities in the Belt and Road countries, such as University of Botswana, so as to strengthen the teacher cultivation related to agricultural engineering of universities in the “Belt and Road” countries, with a total enrolment of 52 Ph.D. students from Africa.

JSU jointly built the Global Agricultural Modernization and Food Safety Education and Training Center with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, providing agricultural modernization training to the Republic of Zambia and other African countries, so as to promote agricultural machinery talent cultivation and agricultural revitalization.

JSU launched the “Belt and Road” Industry-College Alliance for Cultivating International Talents and International University Consortium for Agricultural Engineering. Within the framework of the consortium, we promoted the cooperation with Africa that has brought together enterprises, universities, research institutes and end-users, and obtained a grant from the National Key Research & Development Program (an Inter-government International Sci-Tech Innovation Cooperation Key Project) with professors of the University of Cape Town. The affiliated hospital of Jiangsu University sent medical personnel to work in Africa for a long time.