APA-Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) China’s Ministry of Education on Thursday unveiled an Industry Education Integration Training Center in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia in a bid to help local employees working in Chinese run industries acquire basic Chinese language communications skills and better technical knowledge.
“The center is meant to promote closer Sino-Ethiopia ties and facilitate knowledge transfer through addressing communication barriers,” said Song Yongbo, a representative from China’s Ministry of Education during the unveiling ceremony.
Courtesy of the ever-blooming Sino-Ethiopian ties, the interest in studying the Chinese language is growing fast with newly opening institutes being operational across public universities in different parts of the East African country.
In addition to Addis Ababa University, Chinese language studies are now provided across different public universities throughout Ethiopia, including the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Institute, Bahir Dar University, Mekelle University, as well as Arsi University.
The center was officially opened by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC) of the Ministry of Education of China and it aims to promote Chinese language and build a friendly and cooperative platform for Ethiopian and Chinese colleagues in the east African country.
“The center will help contribute improving the Chinese proficiency and vocational skills as well as cultivating versatile talents of local employees,” Yongbo said.
Speaking on the occasion, General Manager of China’s Sinoma International, which facilitated the opening of the center, Cheng Jin said the establishment of the Ethiopian Industry-Education Integration Training Center will create a good opportunity to promote Chinese language and exchange knowledge among Chinese and Ethiopian coworkers.
China’s Confucius Institute at the Addis Ababa University started operation in 2012, has so far registered more than 10,000 students who passed through various levels of Chinese language studies at different facilities across the country, according to figures from the institute.
Addis Ababa University, with the help of the Confucius Institute, also launched its first-ever Master of Arts (MA) program in the Chinese language in Ethiopia — the Master of Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages.
MG/abj/APA