CRBC Supports the Second Group of Kenyan Students to Study in China

On February 22, the seeing-off ceremony for the second group of 35Kenyan students, who were fully financed by CRBC to study in China, was held in Kenya Railway Technology College. James Macharia – Minister of Transport of Kenya, Wilson Irungu Nyakera – Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Transport of Kenya, Mr. Myna – Director of the Railway Authority, his Excellency Liu Xianfa – the Chinese Ambassador to Kenya and his Excellency Guo Ce – the Commercial Counselor, CRBC Vice President Li Qiang as well as the 35 students and their parents attended the ceremony.

At the seeing-off ceremony, James Macharia – Minister of Transport of Kenya expressed his thanks to CRBC for its financial assistance to Kenyan students and highly affirmed the contributions of CRBC to the development of Kenya.

In his speech, his Excellency Liu Xianfa – the Chinese ambassador to Kenya stressed the importance of education, and expected that these students could help Kenya to achieve the goal of becoming a medium developing country in 2030. At the same time, he also expected that these students could help deepen the friendship between China and Kenya.

Li Qiang - CRBC Vice President and General Manager of Kenya Office, on behalf of CRBC, expressed his sincere congratulations on these students who were to study in China, and exhorted them to live up to the expectation of President Kenyatta and their families and study hard in China to serve the motherland with the knowledge they learned. He said that when CRBC was committed to realizing the “hard connection” of infrastructure, it also paid much attention to the “soft connection” of popular feelings of Chinese and Kenyan people, actively donating to build schools, helping those in distress, doing rescue and relief work, improving people's livelihood and paying much attention to the training and technology transfer. At present, CRBC is cooperating with Kenya Railway Authority, and donating USD 10 million for the construction of Railway Technology College to train the professionals for construction and operation of transport for Kenya and other East African countries.

Vice President Li Qiang gives a speech at the seeing-off ceremony

The representatives of the first group and the second group of students expressed their thanks to the full financing of CRBC, and promised to cherish the opportunity to learn in China and that they would make contributions to the railway cause of Kenya and the friendship between China and Kenya after returning to the motherland.

In December, 2015, President Xi Jinping put forward the “Ten China-Africa Cooperation Plans” and the proposal of cultivating 1000 students for Kenya at Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. In order to carry out consensus on the international student cultivation program reached by leaders of two countries, CRBC decided to train 100 students for Kenya in three groups last year. In last March, President Kenyatta of Kenya and CCCC Chairman Liu Qitao saw off the first group of 25 students financed by CRBC. In last October, CRBC started the screening work of the second group of students. Based on the principle of justice and equity, through strict written examination and interview, 35 excellent senior students were selected from 227 candidates. In the end of this month, they will go to Beijing Jiaotong University for 4-year undergraduate education.

Group photo at the seeing-off ceremony of the second group of Kenyan students

This international student financing activity reflects that CRBC practicing the spirit of “It's better to teach a man fishing than to give him fish”. CRBC is not only the constructor of China-Kenya Century Railway - Mombasa-Nairobi SGR, but also actively shoulder the enterprise responsibility and social responsibility of supporting Kenyan students to realize their dream and deepening the friendship between China and Kenya.

Li Gang – CRBC President Assistant, General Manager of Mombasa Special Economic Zone and Secretary of the General Party Branch of Nairobi-Maraba Railway was also present at the seeing-off ceremony.