A year of postgraduate study at Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU) gave Muntasir, a 27-year-old Sudanese, a much clearer picture of China than his original impression gained mainly from kungfu films and acrobatics shows.

 

He has climbed the Great Wall and visited the Forbidden City, which have given him a deeper insight to Chinese history and culture. He saw Chinese working hard everyday, which he believed to be a reason for the country's rapid economic growth.

 

"I want to be an expert in analysis of China and provide accurate information on its historical and economic development to African and Arabian countries," Muntasir said.

 

Muntasir was a teaching assistant in a university in Sudan. To date, about 20 Sudanese teachers have come to China to study a variety of subjects including Chinese language and agriculture.

 

"There is a great need for Chinese teachers in Sudan now because more Sudanese are choosing to learn the language. That's why we are here to improve our language ability," he said.

 

According to Muntasir, in the early 1990s, when he started learning Chinese, many could not understand why he chose to study such a complex and difficult language.

 

But Muntasir had good reasons for this. More Chinese companies were coming into the Sudanese market as Sino-Sudanese relations continued to develop, and he saw a proficiency in the language as the route to finding good work.

After he graduated from university, Muntasir worked for a Chinese oil company and a Chinese hospital in Sudan, which greatly improved his Chinese language abilities.

 

Muntasir paid close attention to developments at the recently concluded China-Africa forum.

 

"Relations between China and Africa are mutually beneficial. Africa is abundant in natural resources but lacks technology and experience, which it can get from China," he said.

 

Statistics show that BLCU enrolls more African students than any other college and university in China.

 

The former "Higher Preparatory School for Foreign Students" was founded in 1962 with the main task of teaching foreign students Chinese language and culture.

 

Among its earliest students from abroad, only 11 were African.

 

Over the past few decades, the school has witnessed the smooth development of Sino-African cooperation in education. The number of African students now studying at BLCU has reached 162.

 

Since 1973, a total of 4,142 African students from 42 countries and regions have graduated from BLCU, and have gone on to make extensive contributions in their home countries.

 

The current batch of students hopes to follow suit.

 

Fueled by his ambition of becoming an interpreter, Bambou, 32, traveled all the way form Western Africa's Gabon to Beijing to study Chinese at BLCU two years ago.

 

Having served in the foreign affairs department of Gabon's government for five years, Bambou found that misunderstandings often occurred due to the language barrier. He knew that learning Chinese would only help him do his job better, and open up new career opportunities at the same time.

 

It was tough for him at first. Quite aside from the difficulties of learning Chinese, he found that he unable to communicate with room and schoolmates from other countries.

 

"There were times when I just wanted to quit and go home," he said.

 

But encouragement from classmates and teachers helped him get through the initial painful stages. These days, although he isn't fluent in Chinese, he is at least able to exchange ideas with his Chinese friends.

 

Through his interactions with Chinese, he found that Chinese and African people have a lot in common.

 

"For example, we both highly value our families and relatives," he said.

 

(China Daily November 6, 2006)