African students of China Agricultural University explain rice planting to pupils during an open day at the university’s research base in Handan, Hebei Province in north China, on October 16, 2020 (XINHUA)

China is fast becoming an attractive destination for Rwandan students for undergraduate and postgraduate studies, which is helping build human capital in the African country. 

Statistics from Rwanda’s embassy in China show that the number of Rwandan students who received study visas increased to 1,800 in 2020 from 620 in 2015.

In the last decade, more than 15,000 Rwandan students have benefited from China’s world-leading education resources, according to the embassy.  

A mini survey by ChinAfrica of 200 students who studied in China three years ago found that 70 percent had studied engineering.

China’s Ministry of Education, which has made attracting international students one of its key priorities, supports the idea of more Rwandan students studying in Chinese universities.

Key focus of bilateral ties

Chinese Ambassador to Rwanda Rao Hongwei said he is delighted to see that once again the statistics show that more Rwandans are choosing to study at Chinese world-class educational institutions. The numbers have been increasing since 2015, except for a slight decline in 2020, which was due to the COVID-19 pandemic raging globally.

“It is important to us because these young leaders of tomorrow will reinforce partnerships that connect Rwanda and China,” said Rao.

Rwanda’s Second Counselor at the embassy in Beijing China, Virgile Rwanyagatare noted that the growth in student visa statistics, along with the great collaboration between the two countries’ higher education sectors, ensures that education continues to be the key sector in the relationship between the two countries.

The cost of study in China is lower and there are more types of scholarships available than in the U.S., India, and Europe, according to the diplomat.

Rwanyagatare said since the launch of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation platform in 2000, China started offering scholarships and adding slots for African countries.

In 2018, China pledged 50,000 university scholarships to Africa from 2019 to 2022, which already represents an increase of 20,000 on the number of scholarships awarded in the previous three years.

“China is offering scholarships to Rwanda to build our human capital,” said Rose Mukankomeje, Director of the Higher Education Council (HEC) of Rwanda.

African students attend a training session on mushroom growing in Fuzhou, Fujian Province in southeast China, on August 12, 2021 (XINHUA)

Availability of scholarships

“China was not my first option for a bachelor’s degree. Honestly, the first choice to study aeronautical engineering was the U.S., a country with advanced technology,” said Nathan Bagarukayo, who holds a bachelor’s degree in aeronautic engineering from Beijing’s Beihang University, an institution focused on aeronautics and astronautics studies.

However, after he perused information about China’s educational institutions, investment in education, technological advancement, and its policy of investment in Africa, he chose to study in China, and is happy with the choice.

Other people who talked to ChinAfrica said the wide availability of Chinese government scholarships has fueled this trend, as has the relatively straightforward university application process.

It is easier for Rwandans to get a scholarship and admission to a Chinese university than one in any other country, which in a large part explains the rising number of Rwandan students choosing to study in China, he added.

The appeal of Chinese universities is especially strong when considering the high costs of universities in the U.S. and Europe, frequent rejections, and less generous offers for those who want to study abroad.

Alice Muhoza, a student pursuing her undergraduate study in business administration at Kunming Business and Technology University in Yunnan in southwest China, said Chinese universities are cheaper compared with those in North America, Europe and other parts of the world.

“The motivation for going to China was the scholarship package. Initially, I did not want to go far from home. I wanted to do my bachelor’s study in Kenya but looking at the tuition fees, they were quite high.” said Muhoza.

“China seems to be suitable for students because it offers low tuition and living costs, easy university and visa application processes, as well as entertainment and social activities, like concerts, movie premiers, and, exciting nightlife,” she said, adding, “I live in Beijing and the cost of living is low because monthly spending is between 850 euros to 1,000 euros.”

When asked how students can easily get into Chinese universities, Mukankomeje said there are students directly sponsored by the government of Rwanda for specialization at master’s and Ph.D. levels.

Students can also apply directly to the Chinese embassy and if they meet the requirements, they get an offer.

Mukankomeje added that because of low-cost tuition and affordable standards of living and the good facilitation offered by the Chinese Government through easy access to visas, some Rwandan youth go to study in China on their own.

More than scholarships

Moreover, Bagarukayo said China is now the most dominant investor in Africa. Therefore, it is easier to secure a job from Chinese companies in Rwanda and beyond if one has studied in China.

Mukankomeje said China has developed quickly during recent decades and it is the second-largest economy in the world after the U.S. In addition, it is heavily investing in Africa including Rwanda.

“China’s development is linked with the improvement of its education system, which is diversified but also open to the world, especially the Third World where Rwanda belongs,” Mukankomeje said.

Bagarukayo also explained that his choice to study in China was further influenced by China emerging as a major center of engineering and technology studies.

China’s performance is on a par with some other large, developed systems of higher education, including the UK, U.S. and Canada, and even above several others, most notably France, Japan, Russia and South Korea, according to the 2021 Times Higher Education China Subject Ratings.

The report showed how more than 1,500 universities in the world, including 90 in Chinese mainland, performed across 89 different subjects classified by the MoE of China.

A detailed analysis of the rankings revealed that institutions in China perform better than the rest of the world on average in 63 of the 89 subjects, including a large number of engineering disciplines, astronomy, atmospheric sciences, chemistry and mechanics.

“We are delighted to see, year on year, more Rwandan students choosing and trusting the Chinese education system. Chinese education institutions equally benefit from the diversity of talent and culture that Rwandan students bring to campuses,” said Rwanyagatare.

Scholars trained in China has also brought back expertise that will benefit local development. Their influence will be even more pronounced in African universities in the years to come.