Original title: Capacity expansion and efficiency increase of China Africa university exchange mechanism

Recently, the Chinese Association of Higher Education announced the list of Chinese member universities of the "China Africa University 100 Cooperation Plan" and the Chinese member universities of the "China Africa University Alliance" exchange mechanism. 50 universities were selected as Chinese member universities of the "China Africa University 100 Cooperation Plan", and 252 universities were recruited as Chinese member universities of the "China Africa University Alliance" exchange mechanism. This is another major action of China to support the development of education in Africa, marking the cooperation between China and African universities to expand capacity and increase efficiency, and opening up a new path for China's education to the outside world.

Africa has the weakest higher education system in the world. At present, Africa is trying to bridge the gap between education and industry. In February 2024, the African Union issued Agenda 2063: Implementation Plan of the Second Decade (2024-2033), proposing to reform higher education, including increasing the net enrollment rate of higher education to at least 50%; It is required that 40% of college graduates should have majors related to science, technology, engineering, mathematics education and other disciplines; Improve the contribution rate and transformation rate of scientific research achievements, and by 2033, 50% of Africa's scientific output can be transformed into industrial innovation and enterprise production.

China firmly supports Africa's development needs. The Chinese side actively implements the China Africa Talent Training Cooperation Plan and other agreement documents, actively matches the development goals of the African Union, selects more than 250 universities, and carries out specific cooperation with African universities in joint research, talent training, knowledge innovation, cultural understanding, etc., of which more than 70% of Chinese universities focus on agriculture, health, resource development, environmental protection Digital education and other majors closely related to industrial development. The key areas of China Africa university cooperation are closely linked with the goals of the AU's "Second Decade", which will effectively strengthen the consistency of actions of all stakeholders, promote the accessibility of the goals of Africa's education reform, and inject sustained momentum into Africa's development.

Under the framework of the "China Africa University Alliance" exchange mechanism, a large number of "double first-class", local universities and private colleges have carried out inter school cooperation and exchanges with various African universities. Focusing on the development practice and experience of both sides, Chinese and African universities have reinterpreted and reinterpreted the core concepts of human civilization and development; The experience of civilization and governance in China and Africa, as well as the technology, knowledge and talents required for South South cooperation, will become the new focus of discipline construction, scientific research, talent cultivation and international exchanges in both universities.

As a result, colleges and universities of both sides also usher in new development. For the African side, it will improve its own capacity building and better meet the needs of practical development; For China, it will effectively balance the long-term inequality of "bringing in more" and "going out less" in the field of education internationalization, promote the interaction and mutual construction of education between Chinese universities and countries around the world, accelerate the overall process of higher education internationalization, and build a more balanced and improved education opening pattern.

The "China Africa University 100 School Cooperation Plan" proposed to carry out inter school cooperation in the form of clusters on joint scientific research, student exchange, teachers' mutual visits, talent training, etc. Cluster cooperation requires the transformation of the past individual combat mode to the collaborative force mode of factor agglomeration, and requires the goal integration and reengineering of cooperation objects and project benefits, and the systematic planning and collaborative action of cooperation resources such as human resources, property and policy system.

China will further strengthen the close connection with African continental, regional or professional organizations such as the African Union, multilateral cooperation with international organizations such as UNESCO, the World Bank and other countries, and interaction and cooperation with key industries of the "Belt and Road". Cluster cooperation is expected to actively promote internal resource intensification and maximize external benefits, including linking talents, knowledge and technology between universities and industries to produce synergistic value chain effects; Promote the effective flow of knowledge and technology, and generate deep integration of innovative technology and production factors; Assist in industrial upgrading and promote economic and social development.

At present, Chinese and African universities emphasize the synergy of talent, knowledge, technology and other resource elements of both sides to the major theoretical and practical issues of China Africa cooperation. A group of Chinese universities of science, technology and trade focus on practical cooperation with African universities in the fields of knowledge flow, technology transfer and professional talent training, so as to adapt to the development of "new economy" formats such as digital economy, green development and health industry, and achieve the goal of differentiated development between the two sides. A number of humanities and social sciences colleges and universities will make efforts to deepen the sharing of China Africa development concepts and social governance experience, promote people to people exchanges and people to people exchanges, and help the two sides cooperate from the ideological and cognitive levels.

China and Africa regard each other as one of the most important partners, strengthen exchanges and mutual learning between Chinese and African civilizations, tell a good story of "true affinity and sincerity" in China Africa cooperation, and promote the building of a high-level community of shared future between China and Africa. Chinese and African universities are duty bound and have great prospects. (Author: Shan Min Source: Economic Daily)