On May 10, 2018, the opening ceremony for the third batch of Kenyan students in the "Belt and Road" International Talent Joint Training Program, organized by China Communications Construction Company and China Road and Bridge Corporation, took place in the auditorium of the Weihai campus. Vice President of Beijing Jiaotong University, Guan Zhongliang, Deputy Party Secretary of China Road and Bridge, Ren Wen, Counsellor of the Kenyan Embassy in China, John Odipo, and member of the Weihai Nanhai New Area Working Committee, Liu Jie, attended the event and delivered speeches.
Guan Zhongliang welcomed the Kenyan students to the university and expressed gratitude for the support from the Road and Bridge Group and the Nanhai New Area government. He emphasized the university's commitment to improving teaching quality, enriching cultural experiences, and advancing strategic international cooperation between industry and academia to enhance the quality of talent cultivation through university-enterprise collaboration. He hoped that the Kenyan students would quickly adapt to the new environment at the Weihai campus, understand Chinese culture, improve their Chinese language skills, and lay a solid foundation for their professional studies.
Ren Wen highly commended the university's training quality and highlighted the long-standing friendship and current cooperation opportunities between China Road and Bridge and Africa. She stated that as a key participant in the "Belt and Road" initiative, China Road and Bridge would fully implement the "Ten Major China-Africa Cooperation Plans" to deepen practical cooperation across broader fields. She encouraged the students to study hard, experience Chinese culture, enhance their professional skills, and act as ambassadors for China-Africa friendship, strengthening the bond between the people of both regions.
John Odipo thanked the Chinese government, China Road and Bridge, and Beijing Jiaotong University for their efforts in training Kenyan students. He acknowledged the significant role of the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway in boosting Kenya's economy and that of East and Central Africa. He urged the students to study diligently, expand their professional knowledge, and enhance their skills to contribute to Kenya's development into a newly industrialized middle-income country.
Liu Jie emphasized the Nanhai New Area's focus on leveraging the university's leading role, working closely with Beijing Jiaotong University to utilize regional advantages and enrich the cultural experiences of international students. The area will implement the "City Internationalization" strategy, collaborating with China Road and Bridge and Beijing Jiaotong University to make the Weihai campus a prominent example of China-Africa international education cooperation.
During the ceremony, the Weihai campus choir, consisting of both Chinese and international students, performed the Chinese song "Jasmine Flower" and the Kenyan song "Sisi Ni Moja" (We Are One) to welcome the 40 new Kenyan students and wish them success in their studies and life on campus.
Under the "Belt and Road" initiative, China and Kenya have closely cooperated to successfully build and operate the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway, a landmark project. During its construction, China Road and Bridge created approximately 46,000 jobs for Kenyans and provided technical training for over 20,000 local employees. In collaboration with the Kenya Railway Training Institute, nearly 1,200 technical personnel were trained for the railway's operation. To further implement the China-Africa cooperation on education and talent development and promote the national high-speed rail "going global" strategy, China Road and Bridge signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Beijing Jiaotong University for the joint training of international talents under the "Belt and Road" initiative. To date, China Road and Bridge has fully funded 100 Kenyan students to study railway-related subjects at Beijing Jiaotong University, with 75 students completing their language training at the Weihai campus. These professionals are expected to play a crucial role in Kenya's national development.
The Weihai campus is an international campus of Beijing Jiaotong University under the "One University, Multiple Campuses" model, offering joint educational programs with Lancaster University in the UK and the Rochester Institute of Technology in the USA to cultivate international talents. The campus currently hosts 840 undergraduate students and 98 international students from 17 countries. It has established academic exchange clubs for Chinese and international students to foster interaction and enhance the sense of belonging among international students. The campus organizes various cultural experience activities and arranges for students staying during the winter vacation to celebrate the Spring Festival with local families, creating a conducive language learning environment.
