Partnership That Works As Xiamen University, China, and Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Starts An Exchange Programme

Odogwuemekaodogwu.blogspot.com reports that it is no longer news that the Nigeria, Chinese relationship is improving tremendously. Today, many Chinese nationals are employed by Nigerian industrialists where they work in manufacturing companies and in other sectors where they also operate either as expatriate workers or business owners.

Perhaps, it was in a bid to improve these ties that the government of China through an agency known as HANBAN established a centre for the learning of Chinese language and culture at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. Known as the Confucius Institute, the centre was officially commissioned in March 7, 2008 by the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency, Mr. Xu Jianguo represented by the Cultural Counsellor/attaché, Mr. Jiang Weiming.

The relationship was consummated through a Chinese partner institution, Xiamen University, which entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, for exchange of staff, students and research programmes. Record shows that about 111 students from Nnamdi Azikiwe University are currently studying in China under the initiative while nearly 2000 students have graduated from the Chinese language school at the Confucius Institute, UNIZIK, Awka.

Many Chinese are also at Nnamdi Azikiwe University teaching Chinese language while some others are reading Igbo language and culture. One of the Chinese, Mr. Yang Song, was offered admission to study History and International Relations at PhD level in UNIZIK during the 2011/2012 academic session.

Obviously, it was in a bid to take the relationship to the next level that the President, Xiamen University, Prof. Zhu Chongshi decided to visit UNIZIK, recently, for the 4th Board meeting of the Confucius Institute. The visit which Chongshi acknowledged as his first time of stepping his feet on the African soil offered both institutions opportunities to take stock of its relationship in the past six years and to seek of ways of expanding the frontiers of development not only for both institutions but for the two countries at large.

The Vice President of Xiamen Unieversity, Prof. Wu Daguang, had earlier visited UNIZIK between February 5 and 7, 2012 with a 25-man cultural troupe that not only thrilled the university community but strengthened the bond between the two institutions.  On the entourage of the President this time around were Prof. Su Zixing and Ms. Yu Hongbo who spoke English fluently while they were received by the new Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Prof. Joseph Ahaneku, the Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor, Prof. Charles Esimone, Director, Infrastructure and Development, Dr. Godson Okafor, the new Nigerian Director of the Confucius Institute, Dr. Carol Arinze-Umeobi, Special Assistant to the Vice Chancellor on Academic Matters, Dr. Bernard Odoh, and the Director, Information and Public Relations, Emmanuel Ojukwu.

After taking the visiting President round the university environment in a facility tour of the Confucius Institute led by the resident Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute, Prof. Ji Nengwen , the UNIZIK VC and the visitor proceeded to a live programme at UNIZIK 94.1 FM radio station in which Prof. Chongshi described Nigerians as happy people and expressed delight that UNIZIK students speak Chinese better than he does. He said Nigeria and China have been in a very good relationship over the years and expressed hope that the establishment of the Confucius Institute in the university will boost the economy of both countries.  The host, Prof. Ahaneku while welcoming the visitor noted that the relationship between both institutions and countries is improving by the day. He assured that having been the Director of the Confucius Institute in the past, he will consolidate on the achievements to make it more productive.

At the main hall of the Confucius Institute, the two university administrators engaged in a friendly table tennis competition before proceeding to the main hall where the Chinese language students gave the entourage a rousing welcome. The students also gave a perfect rendition of both the Nigeria and Chinese national anthems.

Prof. Ahaneku described the visit as very timely as it was coming at the beginning of a new era in the administration of UNIZIK. He commended the students of the institute for their dedication in learning the Chinese language and ethics. He commended especially the two students, Chijioke Ojukwu and Umeononigwe Nnenna who were moderators on the occasion for speaking and interpreting Chinese language fluently.

“Indeed I’m excited. There is strength and wisdom in language, in speaking in tongues (this remark was greeted by the crowd with a roaring laughter). I have visited several countries but I know some of you who have never traveled even beyond the shores of Africa but here we are speaking Chinese as if you have spent two or three years in China. You can translate and can even listen to the native speaker and you can even sing in China as if you were born there. I give credit to the wonderful teachers you’ve always had from our partner university, Xiamen University. I will not fail to continue to acknowledge the warm relationship and the level of help we’ve been receiving over the years from Xiamen University because as I speak, we have some of our colleagues, our students from Nigeria that are there accessing education, studying not only Chinese Language and culture but also equipping themselves in other fields of human endeavour in China.

“So at this point in time, we are to discuss and look for more avenues for mutual cooperation. I’m sure that after this visit, new ideas, new discoveries, new frontiers of cooperation will open and I will only continue to say that Nnamdi Azikiwe University is evolving and within the next five years that we have just commenced, the road map has been defined and I’m happy that this kind of visit and opportunity will continue to enhance all that we have marshaled out for execution in our administration.  It is no more in doubt that UNIZIK is an international university but what happened today has reinforced that rating.

“We have already extended our Chinese Confucius classrooms at the university high school, Federal Polytechnic Oko, Federal College of Education (Technical), Umunze and we are also receiving request at Onitsha Chamber of Commerce and some other locations. That is to say that a lot of people are in need and are really eager to learn Chinese language and because there are many companies operating in this country with Chinese experts and technocrats working there, communication therefore becomes very important and some of you have been hired already to serve as interpreters. I think it will pay you more to acquire the skills in the university and also acquire the language so that you can fit properly in these companies too.”

In conclusion, the Vice Chancellor said he is dreaming of a more robust relationship between the Nnamdi Azikiwe University and the Xiamen University that will blossom greatly in the future with the result that UNIZIK will emerge the biggest Confucius Institute in Africa. He disclosed that UNIZIK has commenced the Bachelors degree programmes in Chinese Language while the new intakes will start lectures by September. He said that holders of diploma certificates in Chinese language will be admitted into direct entry programmes of the discipline.

The immediate past Dean, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and presently, Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor, UNIZIK, Prof. Charles Esimone, in a chat with Education Review, described what is happening at the Confucius Institute as part of the great vision of the administration of Prof. Ahaneku towards putting the university into global reckoning.

“From what you’ve heard so far from the Vice Chancellor and the President of Xiamen University, this is one of the programmes that will really position us as an international university,” he said. “One of the things we shall pursue vigorously in this administration is the internationalization of the university and as you know, China as a nation makes up one fifth of the world’s population and our partnership with them as we have seen today is something that will take us to the next level not only in terms of culture but in terms of entrepreneurship which we are also trying to pioneer as well as science and technology. We are really proud of this initiative and we know definitely that in the next five years, our university and our community will be transformed while Nigeria will be placed on the map of those who are partnering with China in the level of international relations” he said.

Associate Professor of Law and the new Director, Confucius Institute, UNIZIK, Dr. Carol Arinze-Umeobi also described the visit of the Head of Xiamen University as a quantum leap to consolidate on the programmes of the institute.

“Actually, the thing has gone beyond Chinese language and culture to introduction of technology, technological advancement and production using language and culture as the medium,” she noted. “In the midst of multiple production and whatever you can think of, Nigeria will not be lagging behind because if there is a synergy of technology between the two countries, we will be sufficient in whatever we do in terms of production and maintenance of what we have produced. The younger generations of today students are very lucky because it wasn’t there for us during our own time. They are very lucky to be exposed to the wonderful and tremendous opportunities to improve themselves and then inculcate things that are good for the development of the country and I think its something to be proud of.”

The man who made history as the first student to travel to China for the study programme and also the first acting director of the Confucius Institute, Dr. Sunny Odinye went down memory lane on how it all started. He pointed out that the former Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ilochi Okafor planted the seed in 2008, his successor, Prof. Boniface Egboka watered it while the new Vice Chancellor, Prof. Joseph Ahaneku is growing it.  He added that the coming of the President of Xiamen University for the first time since the history of the programme during Ahaneku’s tenure portends great signs of good things to come in the future.

Some graduating students who were given the Chinese HSK certificate even though they are regular students in other disciplines in the university also shared their views on what motivated them to study the language. Chekwube Uyanwune, a Geology student who dazzled as the official Master of Ceremony (MC) and mesmerized his fellow students with Chinese language when the cultural troupe from China visited in 2012, in a chat with Education Review said he settled for Chinese language because in addition to his expected degree certificate in geology, with his Chinese language certificate he hopes to get a job as Chinese language translator or to work in Chinese-owned companies on part-time basis as a bridge builder filling the gap between Chinese and English language speakers.

Ojukwu Christopher, a 400 level student of Computer Engineering, and the son of Emmanuel Ojukwu, UNIZIK Director of Information and Public Relations, also thrilled the audience during the interactive session as he was the MC of the day. He told Education Review that he has seen many who got scholarship for further studies in China while the Chinese government brought the teachers to UNIZIK and also made the cost of the study very much affordable which were part of the considerations that made him to decide to enroll in the programme.  When asked how difficult it was for him to master the language, he acknowledged that Chinese language writing is not as easy as English language but that they started with the oral aspect before other things fell into place.

Doris Obodoefuna, 300 level student of Geology said her earlier impression about Chinese being a funny language because of its sound was the main point of attraction in her decision to learn the language. Today she can read and write fluently in Chinese having scaled through Level 5 of the training. She called on other students of the university who have not availed themselves of such golden opportunity of enrolling in the programme to realize that they are missing a treasured lifeline.

The Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute in UNIZIK, Prof. Ji Nengwen, expressed delight that Prof. Ahaneku emerged as the 5th Vice Chancellor of the institution as his efforts as former Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic and former Director of the Confucius Institute moved the institution on the path of success.  Presentation of certificates to the graduating students of the language school and music and cultural performances by the students helped to add colour to the occasion.

The Sun Publication for August 7, 2014 written by Aloysius Attah