ADDIS ABABA, June 11 (Xinhua) -- China and Ethiopia have signed a cooperation agreement to expand Chinese language education across schools in the East African country.
The agreement was signed on Wednesday in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, between the ministries of education of China and Ethiopia, with Chen Hai, Chinese ambassador to Ethiopia, and Kindeya Gebrehiwot, state minister at Ethiopia's ministry of education, signing the agreement on behalf of the two ministries.
Speaking at the event, Chen said the agreement intends to incorporate Chinese language teaching into Ethiopia's education system, aiming to promote people-to-people relations and deepen cultural exchanges.
"The agreement would enable Chinese language education to be a part of the Ethiopian national education system, providing more opportunities for Ethiopian younger generations and students to learn Chinese language and know more about China, and serve as a bridge linking the two friendly countries," the ambassador said.
Chen is optimistic that with the joint efforts of both ministries, language students from both countries will play an important role in promoting modernization in China and Ethiopia.
Gebrehiwot, for his part, said education remains one of the most important pillars of the relationship between Ethiopia and China.
"This agreement that we signed today marks another important milestone in strengthening educational and cultural cooperation between our two countries," he said. "Through this agreement, Ethiopia will benefit from technical support in curriculum development, teacher training, teaching materials preparation, quality assurance, and the establishment of pilot Chinese language teaching programs."
The establishment of Chinese language programs in Ethiopian universities will create new opportunities for Ethiopian students to acquire language skills, enhance intercultural understanding, and improve their competitiveness in the global job market, Gebrehiwot said.
According to the agreement, the two ministries will formulate and promote the implementation of Chinese language education programs across Ethiopia. China will dispatch instructors to help eligible universities in Ethiopia establish Chinese language departments and degree programs.
Under the agreement, the Chinese government will also provide scholarships to eligible Ethiopian students and young faculty members, enabling them to pursue degree programs in international Chinese language schools and serve as local Chinese language teachers in Ethiopia. ■