The Sino-African Higher Education and Cultural Exchange before 1911: A Historical Review

B Chkaif

doi:10.7176/jep/11-27-01

Abstract

In the last few decades, much ink has been spilt on the Sino-African relations. However, most literature concentrated on the economic, diplomatic, and political aspects of the Sino-African encounter, while few pieces of research touched upon the educational and cultural aspects of this encounter. With the increasing higher education and cultural exchange between China and the African countries in recent years, looking back at history, as a source of valuable insights to understand the present and forecast the future of this relationship, comes to the fore. This paper intends, through an analogical approach, to review and unveil the Sino-African higher education and cultural exchange before 1911. The author argues that by reviewing the educational and cultural impact of both sides’ scholars’ and travellers’ visits with their backgrounds and legacies according to the modern literature on higher education exchange goals, these scholars’ and travellers’ visits would be regarded as the earliest forms of the Sino-African higher education and cultural exchange. Keywords: China, Africa, higher education exchange, cultural exchange, knowledge transfer DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-27-01 Publication date: September 30 th 2020

Highlights

Modern literature places mutual cultural understanding and knowledge transfer among the core objectives of higher education generally and higher education exchange, (Atalar, 2020; Marilyn DeLong et al, 2011; Sowa, 2002; Vande Berg, Paige, & Lou, 2012)
Africans are those who were born on the African continent, regardless of their ethnicity, skin colour, or religion
The same principle applies to those African slaves such as Mohe, Mole, the 500 men strong battalions, or the wealthy trader Zengjiani who have left an indelible impression on the Chinese and their perception about Africa

Summary

Introduction

Modern literature places mutual cultural understanding and knowledge transfer among the core objectives of higher education generally and higher education exchange, (Atalar, 2020; Marilyn DeLong et al, 2011; Sowa, 2002; Vande Berg, Paige, & Lou, 2012). The African community was present in ancient China through means of trade, travel, or scholarship that offered flexible channels to cultural and educational exchange Their legacies have undoubtedly influenced generations of both Chinese and Africans. In his journey as a priest and the first Chinese to visit Europe, Fan would pass by south Africa and include accounts about it in his travel records "Shen Jian lu"(Jenny Huangfu Day, 2018) He was the late Qing window to the religious status of Africans under the European rule. The above-mentioned Chinese scholars and travellers were the first students and teachers to learn/teach about Africa and its people’s culture, customs, and political status They had successfully achieved today's higher education goals. The same principle applies to those African slaves such as Mohe, Mole, the 500 men strong battalions, or the wealthy trader Zengjiani who have left an indelible impression on the Chinese and their perception about Africa

Conclusion

Bodel and

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