During the Fujian People's Congress and the Fujian Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Zheng Zhuqun, a Fujian provincial political adviser and dean at Fujian Jiangxia University, submitted a proposal that emphasized the significant potential for China-Africa educational collaboration.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and African countries, as well as the 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges. As a key partner in the Belt and Road Initiative, Fujian, in particular, is forging increasingly close ties with African countries in trade, culture, and talent development.

In June 2025, Professor Zheng joined a delegation on a visit to Nigeria and Ghana, where a series of engagements led to concrete plans for cooperation in education and talent development.

While current efforts are shifting from short-term projects to capacity-building and institutional learning, Zheng noted that these initiatives often lack long-term sustainability and remain fragmented. To address this, she outlined a systematic approach focusing on five key areas:

•Mechanism: Form a provincial-level coordination body to integrate resources across education, foreign affairs, commerce, and universities, creating a strategic framework for African cooperation.

•Content: Transition from academic exchanges to capacity-building initiatives that enhance employability and support industrial upgrading.

•Platforms: Leverage Fujian universities' strengths to establish joint cultivation and course collaboration platforms with African universities, tailoring Chinese educational practices to local contexts.

•Support: Enhance policy, funding, and personnel support at the provincial level to ensure stable, long-term partnerships.

•Demonstration Models: Use the collaboration between Edo State, Nigeria, and Fujian universities as a pilot to develop a scalable "Fujian-Africa Local University Education Cooperation Model".