Invited by the Bureau of International Cooperation, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and as representatives of Dr. Amina Mohamed, Cabinet Secretary of Ministry of Education in Kenya, a Kenyan official delegation led by Prof. Mohamed Abdille, senior advisor of the Cabinet Secretary on International Partnership and Collaborations, Ministry of Education in Kenya, visited China from February 19 to March 3. The aim of this visit is to pave the way and deepen the two countries' science and education exchanges and cooperation before the Cabinet Secretary’s visit to China to participate in the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation this April.

In Beijing, the delegation paid official visits respectively to the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the Ministry of Education in China.

On February 20, CAO Jinghua, Director General of the Bureau of International Cooperation, CAS, met with the delegation. The two sides carried out in-depth discussions on specific implementation of a memorandum, jointly signed by CAS and the Ministry of Education in Kenya, on supporting the operation of the Sino-Africa Joint Research Center (SAJOREC). The development of a comprehensive partnership in science and capacity building between two parties as the welcoming gift for the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation was also discussed.

On February 21, the delegation visited the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Education of China where delegation members praised highly of China's achievements in science, technology, innovation, and talent cultivation. The two sides exchanged views on building a "China-Africa Science and Technology Innovation Center" affiliated to SAJOREC, and to promote more preferential policies for African students to study in China. Prof. Mohamed Abdille , the head of the delegation, said that “China-Africa long-term friendship depends on the exchange of talents”. He hoped that “the exchanges between the relevant students and scientific researchers will be more frequent and stable, which surely can benefit more people”.

During their stay in China, the delegation then visited a dozen of scientific research institutes and universities affiliated to CAS in the cities of Wuhan, Xiamen, Kunming, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. A series of consensus and cooperation intentions were reached on the basis of SAJOREC’s cooperation with Kenyan institutes.

Prof. WAN Qingfeng, Deputy Director of Wuhan Botanical Garden (WBG) and Director of SAJOREC, Prof. YAN Xue, Executive Director of SAJOREC, Mr. WU Hao, Deputy Director of SAJOREC and the WBG Department of Research, Ms. KANG Kejing, Public Information Officer of SAJOREC, and Mr. LIU Huaibo, Program Officer of SAJOREC, accompanied the visit.

Meeting with CAO Jinghua, Director General, Bureau of International Cooperation, CAS (Image by SAJOREC) 

 Meeting with CAI Jianing (2nd L), Deputy Director-General, Division of International Cooperation, Ministry of Science and Technology (Image by SAJOREC)

Meeting with  FANG Jun (4nd L), Deputy Director-General, Division of  International Cooperation, Ministry of Education (Image by SAJOREC)

The delegation visited WBG (Image by SAJOREC)