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Kenyans who studied in China urge more locals to take interest due to job opportunities

Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Wu Peng poses for a selfie with alumni from Chinese universities during a November 2, 2019 trip to Mombasa. /COURTESY.

NAIROBI, Kenya Nov 14 – Kenyans who studied in Chinese Universities are urging more and more locals to take interest in studying there due to massive opportunities available both in Kenya and China.

Those interviewed by Capital News said they do not regret undertaking studies in China, due to the doors the credentials have opened for them.

“When I went to study in China six years ago, I got a lot of criticism from some of the people who wanted to discourage me,” said Kevin, who returned three years ago after undertaking his Masters Degree at a university in China’s capital Beijing, “But today, I am happy because I came (back) and landed a job.”

Kevin said he knows several other students who studied in China and who did not tarmac after finalizing their studies.

Kenyan students studying in China are either self-sponsored or went there under Chinese government scholarships.

Every year, the Chinese government through the embassy in Nairobi awards Kenyan students with scholarships to undertake studies in China.

More than 200 students were awarded scholarships in August this year and are already undertaking studies in various provinces in China.

Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Wu Peng said the scholarships given to Kenyan students is part of the mutual cooperation between the two countries, with the aim of fostering ties.

Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Wu Peng (centre) with Kenyan MPs and alumni from Chinese universities. /COURTESY.

On completion of their studies, these students come back to Kenya with skills and academic credentials acquired in China which enable them to seek for jobs. There are also those who get jobs in China or other countries after their studies that range from undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.

“I urge more Kenyans to take interest in studying in China,” said Dr Henry Rotich, Chairman of the Kenya-China Alumni association that brings together all students who are studying or studied in China under the Chinese-government scholarships, “That country has a lot of marketable programs.”

Dr Henry Rotich (far right) with members of the Alumni association pose for a photograph at Baobab Holiday Resort in Mombasa during the trip organised by the Chinese Embassy. /COURTESY.

“We have students who have undertaken various courses, including Medicine, Business courses, engineering among others,” Dr Rotich said, “the quality of education in China is very high and it makes it easy for those who studied in China to be absorbed locally.

Some of the graduands work as translators for the Chinese language while others work in Chinese companies in Kenya including the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR)-Kenya’s largest infrastructure project since independence.

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Some of the alumni accompanied by MPs tour the SGR operations station in Nairobi before they embarked on a trip to Mombasa on November 2, 2019. /COURTESY.

“The courses are available online and people can even apply for the scholarships,” Dr Rotich said. There were more than 50 alumni members on the trip.

Joseph Maritim, another beneficiary of the Chinese Government scholarship, said he went to China in 1982 to undertake his studies as one of the pioneers.

Just like the rest of the alumni members, Maritim is happy to have been granted the sponsorship to study Civil Engineering which, he said, helped him learn the Chinese language.

“Since graduating from China, I have worked in various sectors while utilizing my skills which have really helped me,” Maritim said during the trip to Mombasa.

Maritim confesses that apart from academic qualifications, he learned the Chinese culture of working very hard to complete any task.

Former students have kept contact with each other through their Alumni association.

The Chinese Embassy in Nairobi recently organized a trip for them to Mombasa in what Huang Xueqing, the embassy’s Head of Communications and Public Affairs described as a bonding session.

Nairobi Woman Rep Esther Passaris (third from left) poses for a photo with SGR engineers at the Operations Centre in Nairobi. On the far right is Huang Xueqing from the Chinese Embassy and an alumni Muthoni (right) who works as a translator for the Chinese language. /COURTESY.

Accompanied by some Members of Parliament, the alumni were first taken to the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) Operations and Control centre located at the main Nairobi terminus before they embarked on their trip to Mombasa. It also included a visit to the port where they were taken through the process of cargo clearance and haulage to Nairobi through the SGR.

“I can tell you these (Chinese) people are different,” he said, “Chinese people have totally different work ethics. I learnt this from them and I can say that it has really helped me because of the commitment they dedicate at work.”

Mercy Muthoni, an alumnus who studied the Chinese language at the University of Nairobi’s Confucius Institute in 2009 before she got a scholarship to further her studies in China says she has never regretted it.

“It is the best decision I made. I was one of the lucky people because we saw this way before people knew that we were going to have this co-existence with Chinese,” she said, “I learned a lot (in China) and now I am using it here.”

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Muthoni works as a translator. She also teaches the Chinese language on a one-on-one basis.

“We are helping bridge the gap between China and Kenya in terms of language barrier and this helps investors and even tourists,” she said, and urged more Kenyan students to enroll for the Chinese language classes.

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