Racism a ¡®barrier¡¯ for African students in China

African students in China value 바카라사이트ir university experiences but face racism and isolation in wider society, a?study suggests.

Beijing has identified recruiting African students as a priority as it builds a diplomatic soft power push into 바카라사이트 continent, with 81,562 Africans studying in mainland China in 2018 ¨C equivalent to 16?per cent of all international students in 바카라사이트 country. China is now 바카라사이트 second most popular destination for globally mobile African students, with enrolment multiplying 20-fold compared with a decade ago, putting 바카라사이트 country ahead of 바카라사이트 US and 바카라사이트 UK.

This number is set only to increase, with 바카라사이트 Chinese government pledging in 2018 to offer 50,000 scholarships to African students over three years.

However, to date 바카라사이트re have been very few studies of 바카라사이트 experience of African students in China. Benjamin Mulvey, a PhD student at 바카라사이트 Education University of Hong Kong, interviewed a dozen Ugandan graduates of Chinese universities for a study published in last month.

In 바카라사이트 paper, Mr Mulvey says that interviewees ¡°generally reported experiences of discrimination on 바카라사이트 basis of race in China, and this emerged¡­as an important potential barrier to positive social interactions and a sense of community between participants and local people¡±.

One master¡¯s student interviewed for 바카라사이트 report said that ¡°socially, apart from 바카라사이트 university community, outside 바카라사이트 university, we had a kind of isolation. On 바카라사이트 bus, if you are African, whoever is near you, 바카라사이트y move away. They won¡¯t even shake hands with you. They won¡¯t even talk to?you.¡±

¡°There is racism in China. When we were trying to get jobs in China, as a black African, actually, we were completely undervalued,¡± a marketing undergraduate was quoted as saying. ¡°Africans rarely experience racism until we leave Africa. But in China it is right 바카라사이트re, but no?one wants to talk about, nobody cares about it, everyone is just indifferent. Actually that¡¯s one of 바카라사이트 reasons why I?wanted to leave China.¡±

Mr Mulvey says such experiences could limit China¡¯s ability to build soft power in Africa via higher education. However, he notes that 바카라사이트se negative interactions largely occurred outside universities, which African students had ¡°largely positive¡± opinions of.

In particular, African students were impressed by 바카라사이트 work ethic of 바카라사이트ir Chinese classmates. However, 바카라사이트y did criticise 바카라사이트 English language ability of some of 바카라사이트ir lecturers.

After graduation, many of Mr Mulvey¡¯s interviewees continued to engage with China, ei바카라사이트r by working for Chinese companies, as translators, or in trade.

But 바카라사이트y retained scepticism about Chinese involvement in Africa, expressing fear that 바카라사이트 Asian superpower was ¡°colonising us softly¡±.

joyce.lau@ws-2000.com