Keen young students in Cameroon vie to answer the question raised by a Chinese teacher from the Confucius Institute

Annie Sonwa wants to become a doctor. So she decided to enroll for a course in Chinese.

The two are not as unconnected as they sound. The young Cameroonian wants to study medicine in China and learning the language would be an asset in more ways than one. "If I don't go to China, I can get a job here easily," the student of the Confucius Institute at Cameroon's University of Yaoundé II, reasoned. "There are many Chinese companies in Cameroon and [other African countries]. Every week, we have businessmen coming to our institute to look for students who are fluent in Chinese."

The Chinese language and culture have become hugely popular in Cameroon, where students are lining up to take advantage of acquiring this skill and insights.

Confucius institutes are similar to the UK's British Council or France's Alliance Francaise. Named after Confucius, the revered Chinese philosopher and educationist who lived from 551 B.C. to 479 B.C. and founded the school of philosophy known as Confucianism, the Confucius institutes are a non-profit organization established to teach the Chinese language and culture and contribute to cultural exchanges worldwide.

The Confucius Institute at the University of Yaoundé II is the first one in Cameroon. Part of the university's International Relations Institute of Cameroon (IRIC), it plays an important role in fostering cultural understanding and rapprochement.

Though the Confucius Institute in Cameroon opened its doors in 2007, the process to establish it was initiated in 1995, said Yu Guoyang, Director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Yaoundé II. A partnership between the University of Yaoundé II and China's Zhejiang Normal University, the Confucius Institute is co-chaired by rectors of both universities.

Funding is also a duel responsibility, Professor Oumarou Bouba, Rector of the University of Yaoundé II and CEO of the Confucius Institute, told ChinAfrica. "The institute is basically funded by both parties: the University of Yaoundé II, through IRIC for Cameroon and HANBAN (Confucius Institute Headquarters affiliated with the Chinese Ministry of Education) for China. Apart from this direct funding by both parties, there are self-generated funds that the Confucius Institute gets from tuition fees and other channels."

The Confucius Institute has established Chinese classes at several universities in Cameroon and secondary and primary schools.

At first, there were less than 200 students. But since then, the institute has seen a steady increase of about 1,000 new students annually. It recorded its 8,000th learner at the end of 2014.

"I think the decision by [Cameroonian President] Paul Biya in 2007 [to start Confucius institutes in the state] was timely, given the long friendship, excellent relations and intense exchanges between Cameroon and China. The president well understood the need and importance of such an [institution] to boost and smoothen those relations and exchanges. It is a great honor for our university to host such a relevant and important institution," said Bouba.

Students see opportunities

Seyi Pascal enrolled at the Confucius Institute because he believes learning a new language is always an advantage. He said with Chinese under his belt, he could get a job as a translator in Chinese companies in Cameroon or travel abroad on a scholarship and learn a new trade in China.

Pascal finds the classes interesting. "Our teachers are young and we easily relate to them and understand one another. The traditional teacher-learner barrier is broken," he said.

His classmate Annie Sonwa says her brother too had enrolled and was offered a good job when he was only halfway through his training.

Students worldwide have to undergo standardized Chinese Proficiency Tests (HSK). "We have to write six tests," Sonwa explained. "[The answer scripts] are marked in Beijing. We do five [tests] in Cameroon and the sixth is done in China. My brother, like many other students, got employed after completing the third level. China has grown so big [that] embracing Chinese is a plus for every economy."

"I have ambitions to become a teacher of Chinese," another student, Florence Ndeuchi, said. "My parents are proud of me and support me. China is a big economy, extending its growth to Africa. I want to be part of China. I know it is not easy but I am confident I will travel to China some day. I have many friends in China."

Ndeuchi said Chinese culture and history are also interesting. Some students enroll to learn kungfu or Chinese music.

Language diplomacy

"It is good that a country like China is endeavoring to be better known by the people of other countries. It has a long history and a rich culture to share with the world," said Professor Bouba.

He pointed out that China is not the only country that has created such an institution globally. He cited other examples like Germany's Goethe-Institut and Spain's Instituto Cervantes.

According to Yu Guoyang, the institution has about 470 branches worldwide, with 40 of them based in nearly 25 African countries. The branches are established at universities in the countries where the governments think there is a need for them. "This is the case with all the 470 branches we have in 130 countries around the world," he said.

In addition to 18 Chinese language teaching centers in Cameroon, the Confucius Institute liaises with primary and secondary schools, and the National Social Insurance Fund office, where Chinese teachers offer short courses on demand.

Yu said recognizing the importance of learning the Chinese language and culture, the Cameroonian Government has introduced Chinese at the state-run Advanced Teacher Training College in Maroua in the Far North Region, where secondary and high school teachers are trained. More than 60 graduates from the school are teaching in government-run secondary schools in Cameroon. Last year, a new Chinese undergraduate program was introduced at the Faculty of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Yaoundé I.

Yu says Cameroonian students like to be taught Chinese by Cameroonian teachers. This necessitates training Cameroonians to teach Chinese, who could then teach at the institute and its branches in Douala and Maroua and later, in Bamenda and Buea.

Cultural bonds

Learning about each other's culture and language is very important for Cameroon and China, which share a long history of bilateral cooperation, added Yu. Such knowledge helps eliminate misconceptions and misunderstandings and enhances mutual understanding.

"Every year, 40 Chinese teachers come to teach [Chinese] in Cameroon; when they return, it is with an equal understanding of Cameroonian culture. We consider them folk ambassadors," he said.

These teachers quickly realize that there are cultural similarities between the two countries, most notably, the attachment to family. "Like Chinese, Cameroonians [also] value harmony, peace and unity," he added. As part of the cross-cultural assimilation process, Chinese festivals are celebrated in Cameroon at the Confucius Institute, while Cameroonian students in China enlighten their Chinese colleagues about their own celebrations.

Besides bridging gaps between cultures, Confucius institutes facilitate Chinese scholarships for people from countries whose universities have a partnership with Chinese universities. The scholarships are offered to students who travel to China and study there, returning when it is over to work in their home countries. Graduates proficient in Chinese also make use of employment opportunities in China.

Yu says knowing Chinese can be a big help to Cameroonian businesspersons who can improve their trade with Chinese companies. In the same way, civil servants will be better equipped for their work, especially if it is related to cooperation with the Chinese Government, once they have a good command of the Chinese language and are familiar with the culture. 

(Reporting from Cameroon)