Nairobi: Kenya and China are deepening their education partnership through initiatives aimed at equipping teachers with digital literacy and STEM competencies, with a strong focus on Artificial Intelligence, innovation, and practical classroom applications.
According to Kenya News Agency, Prof. Xiao Huang, Dean of the Joint Education Institute of Zhejiang-Normal University (ZJNU) and the University of Kansas Institute for China-Africa, emphasized during the closing ceremony of a workshop at the Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in Africa (CEMASTEA) in Nairobi, that the programme is designed to enhance teachers’ digital and scientific literacy. This workshop marked a significant step in advancing digital literacy for competency-based STEM education.
The training gathered about 100 Junior and Senior School teachers, university lecturers, and STEM education specialists. The collaboration between Kenyan and Chinese institutions aims to promote knowledge exchange and innovation in education. Prof. Huang highlighted that the two-day programme provided teachers with exposure to AI, STEM education policies, and practical case studies, including insights from China’s technology and innovation sectors such as Alibaba and Yiwu.
She praised CEMASTEA for leading STEM education, noting that the practical approach is intended to help teachers understand how science and AI can be applied in classroom settings. She encouraged learners to embrace innovation and foster increased cooperation among educators.
The partnership unites the Institute of the China-Africa Consortium of Universities Exchange Mechanism, the Global Teacher Professional Development Institute for Africa at ZJNU, CEMASTEA, and the African Foundation for Women and Youth in Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation (AFoWYESTI), creating a robust platform for interaction and experience exchange between Chinese and African teachers and education specialists.
Prof. Huang described the current programme as a new phase in ongoing China-Africa educational cooperation. She noted that previous exchanges have allowed African educators and delegations to visit Zhejiang Normal University and participate in academic conferences. The cooperation holds the potential to expand into areas such as China-Africa science education dialogues, increased academic exchanges, and opportunities for African students to pursue master’s and PhD programmes in China.
She concluded by calling for sustained collaboration in education, research, and innovation to deepen people-to-people ties between China and Africa, while strengthening capacity in STEM and digital education.
