ABSTRACT
In earlier chapters, the historical, theoretical, and methodological foundations for this investigation have been considered. Before turning to the findings, it bears repeating that the scholarship programs for African students to pursue higher education in China were established as early as 1949, as China, inspired by the spirit of Bandung and a revolutionary zeal, made a concentrated effort to establish close ties with the newly independent African nations. Part of this effort included establishing educational ties, a bond which has been sustained ever since. A document produced by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State Education Commission April 18, 1997 (Appendix L), itemizes Sino-African exchanges and divides the cooperation into four time periods: 1949 to 1966, 1966 to 1978, 1979 to 1989, and 1990 to 1996. During these four periods, China has sent more than ninety delegations, dispatched more than 400 teachers, and provided various kinds of educational support to over twenty-five African countries. In addition, China has hosted more than eighty delegations from African nations and admitted approximately 4,570 African exchange students (Appendix L). 1 This study looks at the experience of 133 of these students in China today.
