Companies

China-Sudan education cooperation benefits students

By Wang Danna (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-06-29 11:43

NANJING - Some 10 Sudanese students financed by China Harbor Engineering Co Ltd (CHEC), a well-known international contractor, were awarded Master's degrees by Nanjing-based Hohai University at a graduation ceremony last Wednesday.

Chairman of CHEC Sun Ziyu (2nd L), Sudanese Ambassador to China Mirghani Mohammed Salih (1st R) and President of Hohai University Wang Cheng (3rd R) congratulate Sudanese students. [XU LIAN / FOR CHINA DAILY ]

After two years' study at Hohai University, the students are now qualified to get Master's degrees and four of them won scholarships due to their hard work.

They are the first graduate students financed by CHEC's "Education Fund", which was established in 2008 to help students from developing countries to study in China.

The students, selected by Sudan's higher education authorities, majored in hydrology and water resources at Hohai University. They used to be teachers in their country before coming to China.

All the expenses during the two-year study period in Hohai, totaling over 1.6 million yuan, were paid by CHEC, including tuition, living costs, transport, medical care and travel expenditure.

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The idea of providing financial support to Sudanese students to study in Chinese universities came from Chairman and President of CHEC Sun Ziyu, after his visit to Sudan at the beginning of 2008.

Sun discussed the thought with the Chinese ambassador to Sudan first. The idea was warmly welcomed and considered by the ambassador as a way to "open a new field in cooperation between Chinese enterprises and foreign governments".

As one of the first of a batch of companies to settle in Sudan, CHEC established its office in 1985 and has participated in a number of port, road and bridge projects, which have contributed to the development of the local economy.