As the saying goes, it's better to teach someone fishing instead of simply giving him a fish. An international training program under the Belt and Road Initiative has invited Kenyan students to study railway engineering in China. After graduation, these students plan to serve for the Chinese-constructed Mombassa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway. CGTN's Wang Mengzhen shows us how it's all part of a long-term plan to hand the railway over to locals.

The first lecture of the new school year.

"My name is Clinton and I am studying at Beijing Jiaotong University."

It's been two and a half years since Clinton and another 22 Kenyan students studied railway engineering here as the pioneers of the undergraduate program.

Jointly launched by Beijing Jiaotong University and the China Road & Bridge Corporation in 2016, the program aims to train local railway professionals to work on the Chinese-built Mombassa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway.

Opening in May, 2017, the landmark rail is Kenya's largest infrastructure project since it gained independence, and also an early fruit of China's Belt and Road Initiative.

CLINTON MUNENE, STUDENT BEIJING JIAOTONG UNIVERSITY "We did not have a very reliable and efficient train like the one we have now."

But running a railway is no easy task, skilled staff are in urgent need.

LIU YANQING, DIRECTOR AT CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION BEIJING JIAOTONG UNIVERSITY "This is the first collaboration of its kind with the China Road & Bridge Corporation. We take it very seriously. All engineering courses here are taught in English, and we've also worked closely with Chinese railway vocational colleges to help students gain practical skills each summer."

So far, the program has fully sponsored 100 Kenyan students, and with the expansion of East African railway networks, it is expected to cover more countries along the belt and road.

WANG MENGZHEN BEIJING "In 2017, the number of students from countries and regions along the Belt and Road increased by more than 10 percent, reaching over 300 thousand. It's a trend experts say should continue. WMZ, CGTN, BEIJING."