"They are doing these wholeheartedly," says Huang Lizhi, an interested Ph.D student who attended the seminar. "The activities," says Huang, "not only provide us Chinese students with opportunities to communicate with Africans face-to-face – more importantly, we can realize the appeal of their culture, which we cannot learn from books."

According to Hicham, the seminar marks the first time for the association to hold this kind of activity. Ezemaduka believes that unlike "entertaining" activities like the international cultural festival, the seminar will have more profound influence in promoting African culture.

"I hope people can see that Africans are not all dancers," she says. "We also have intelligent people who can talk about development in Africa, about how far Chinese and African cooperation has gone, about our advantages and expectations. It's an opportunity just to share ideas and think."

Still, the association plans to hold another African Cultural Day to promote the continent through food and games. "They will learn about us from two sides," explains Ezemaduka. "Both would make Chinese see fully that Africa has potential. We have a lot of educated people and we also have a lot of culture."

The same world

Vallai M. Dorley is a Ph.D candidate from Liberia. Always dressed in colorful, traditional garb, he and his African friends command the center of attention on campus. They believe that it's an effective way to promote their culture. He also carries materials about his home to share with Chinese students.

He, like many other African students in Chinese universities, attended classes at a Confucius Institute before coming to China. The courses help him to learn Mandarin and build a knowledge base to further understand the culture he was about to encounter. Once in China, this background allows students to promote African culture even as they become effective promoters of Chinese culture.

"We hope China can do the same," says Dorley. "They need to send some Chinese students to African universities to do this kind of program, not only as volunteers, but to gain experience and learn about our culture. When they return to China, they will have a real picture of Africa."

He also hopes African governments can send more African scholars to teach in Chinese universities. After these lecturers return home, they will be able to teach students there about the China they encountered. It's a "win-win approach," he says of the prospect.

Many African students are dedicated to introducing their home to others, but in doing so also discover similarities between Chinese and African cultures.

"Human beings all around the world, despite different skin color, we are the same," says Ezemaduka. She believes all societies are composed of rich and poor, educated and uneducated, and hopes people can abandon their stereotypes of Africa and instead see its true development.

Theophilus Aperkor from Ghana is very optimistic about that possibility. "In the very near future, all these stereotypes and lack of understanding are going to stop," he says. "People will look at you and not judge where you are from, but what you have contributed."