Recently, the China‑Africa University Presidents Forum on Frontiers of Educational Development was held in Changsha, Hunan Province. Hosted by Hunan University, themed “Co‑creating a Smart Future: China‑Africa Higher Education Cooperation and Innovative Development”, the forum marks the 1050th anniversary of Yuelu Academy and the 100th anniversary of Hunan University’s naming. It brought together university representatives from China and Africa to discuss digital higher education, talent cultivation, smart healthcare and other topics. The Initiative on Establishing the China‑Africa University Digital Development Alliance was released at the forum.

Professor Zhao Shurong, Director of the Center for West African Studies (CWAS) and Professor of the School of Public Administration (SPA), University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC), was invited to the forum. She delivered a presentation in the session of Data Elements and Talent Cultivation under Parallel Forum I: Empowering with Digital Intelligence, Connecting China and Africa — Bridging the Digital Divide and Deepening China‑Africa Digital Development Cooperation.

Her presentation was titled Data Elements Empowering Talent Cultivation: China‑Africa Digital Literacy and International Talent Training. She argued that China‑Africa talent development in the digital era should focus on five core competencies: data literacy for public decision‑making, cybersecurity awareness, digital public communication skills, adaptive thinking for intelligent tools, and ethical awareness for inclusive digital governance. Drawing on the practices of CWAS supported by the Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory of Philosophy and Social Sciences for Digital Governance and the China‑Africa International Academic Exchange & Joint Talent Training Base, she introduced the center’s three‑in‑one talent training framework integrating academic platforms, talent bases and practical carriers. Working with the Overseas Learning Center in Benin and partners in Ghana, CWAS provides digital training resources and practical skill workshops, promotes two‑way exchanges of faculty and students, and cultivates local African interdisciplinary talents equipped with digital capacity and public governance literacy, offering practical experience for the China‑Africa University Digital Development Alliance.

On the sidelines of the forum, Professor Zhao Shurong held a bilateral meeting with Professor Denis Worlanyo Aheto, Vice‑Chancellor of University of Cape Coast (UCC), Ghana. The two sides discussed preparations for the 8th International Symposium on West African Studies (8th ISWAS). They agreed that the closing ceremony and a series of special sessions on health and medical issues of the 8th ISWAS will be hosted at UCC. UCC will be responsible for venue arrangement, invitation of local West African experts and on‑site coordination. They also exchanged views on the joint operation of the medical laboratory co‑built by UCC, CWAS and Chengdian Jinpan, the design of topics for the health‑themed sessions, and mobilization of West African scholars to solidify the preparation work.

The Center for West African Studies has long been committed to China‑Africa people‑to‑people exchanges and higher‑education collaboration, building continuous dialogue platforms for universities of China and Africa. This participation facilitates experience sharing on digital talent cultivation and consolidates the foundation of university partnership for the 8th ISWAS. Moving forward, CWAS will continue cooperating with partner institutions such as UCC to successfully host the 8th ISWAS, deepen practical cooperation between China and West Africa in education, public health and digital governance, and tell stories of China‑Africa friendship in the new era.

Text by CWAS team

Photos by Xupeifeng, Luohongquan

Edited by Song He

Contributed by: Center for West African Studies of UESTC, University of Electronic Scienceand Technology of China