China’s Influence in Africa: A Rising Tide

Most news about China in the field of international education tends to be about outbound students. But in 2014, China quietly surpassed the United Kingdom and the United States as a top destination for international students from Africa—and it continues to draw increasing numbers of students from the continent.

This eclipse was no overnight development. Rather, it is an outgrowth of China’s major diplomatic outreach and investment in Africa over the past 2 decades. As China’s influence on higher education in Africa grows by leaps and bounds, this development poses major long-term implications for higher education on the African continent, in China, and throughout the world.

The Roots of Growth

China’s place as a top destination for African tertiary international students is the product of a concerted effort. A multipronged approach actively promotes Chinese culture and language diffusion throughout the African continent, supports African national higher education efforts, and fosters diverse and dynamic intergovernmental and interinstitution tertiary efforts.

In 2000, a newly formed Forum on China– Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) sought to establish a framework for China to coordinate its multiple diplomatic relationships with African nations. As of 2017, the forum includes every African nation.

Postsecondary education has emerged as one focal point of the organization’s agenda at a time when many African countries are more focused on primary and secondary educational efforts. The higher education initiatives that FOCAC supports span a wide range of areas, including academic exchanges, government scholarships, cooperative higher education and research projects, technical and vocational training