Students look at study opportunities living in China

Agnes Muema, a 23-year-old Fourth Year Bachelor of Science Student at the University of Nairobi, has a firm grasp of the career world she is about to plunge into having nurtured the dream of becoming a chemical engineer since her high school days.The young woman passed all science subjects with straight “A”s in the national examinations and settled for a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry at the University.

For my Post Graduate course, I intend to pursue chemical engineering hopefully in a foreign country,Muema tells Xinhua at the sidelines of the two day China Education Exhibition which kicked off in Nairobi on Friday.I am aware that Chinese universities offer a broad range of cutting edge engineering courses and my career mentor has advised me to apply for a course in chemical engineering in any of the leading universities or technical institutions in China .She hopes to obtain a post graduate degree in chemical engineering and come back to Kenya to join the ranks of professionals in the country’s blossoming manufacturing sector.Muema has set her eyes on the food and beverages industry that is reckoned to become a formidable player in Kenya ’s industrial sector this decade.

Hundreds of students visited the China Education Fair and expressed their enthusiasm to pursue studies in the country especially at the post graduate level.The exhibition brought together over 100 representatives of 49 Chinese universities and colleges.Proficiency in mandarin though not a mandatory requirement to qualify for higher education in China has fueled the enthusiasm of Kenyan students to study in China .A critical mass of Kenyan youth has enlisted for mandarin classes taught at the Confucius institutes established in leading universities.

Jack Mwangi is among hundreds of students enrolled at the Confucius Institute in the University of Nairobi but is also an undergraduate student at the School of Engineering at the university.The 24-year-old hopes to sharpen his skills in mandarin and broaden his knowledge on China to prepare him adequately for a post graduate degree in mechanical engineering in any of the leading university or technical college there.Mwangi has relied on his career mentor and exhaustive research to arrive at the conclusion that Chinese universities offer quality and globally competitive post graduate degree in mechanical engineering and Biomedical Engineering.

Aware that China is a major player in shaping scientific and technological developments unfolding in the modern world, I am looking forward to study there for my Masters and hopefully PhD in mechanical engineering and plough the skills back to my country, says Mwangi.Hordes of Kenya university students are exploring China for their future career dreams in the hope that the Asian nation offer quality education that is on high demand in a rapidly industrializing East Africa’s largest economy.Over 1,000 Kenyans have so far studied in China in various fields and are now engaged in national development, Kenya ’s acting Minister for Higher Education, Science and Technology Hellen Sambili said.

Currently, more than 300 Kenyan students are enrolled in Chinese universities and two thirds of this figure benefited from scholarships awarded by the Chinese government.Representatives of leading Chinese universities and technical colleges reveal that many Kenyan students settle for diverse courses ranging from engineering, medicine, economics, finance and agriculture.They pointed at computer science and medicine as leading courses of choice among Kenyans.

Likewise, Kenyan students are slowly embracing sophisticated courses that include aeronautics and space engineering.Environmental courses too are popular with Kenyan students.Liu Dianbo, Head of International Students Office at China University of Geosciences in Beijing said that three years ago, five Kenyan students registered for short term courses on mineral and groundwater exploration.Dai Baoyin, Head of International students program at Shanghai Jiao Tong University , disclosed that three Kenyan students at the university are pursuing chemical and mechanical engineering at the post graduate level.