China-Africa Cooperation: China to help groom 1,000 leaders for Africa

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As China and Africa work more together, more of Africa's young people are chasing their dreams in China. One aspiring young scientist told CGTN's Sun Ye how this experience has groomed her for the future.

Coming all the way from Cairo, Egypt, Sahar Ali has landed the highly competitive Chinese Government Scholarship to study the kind of power engineering that's beyond many laymen.

SAHAR ALI PHD CANDIDATE, TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY "My project here is femtosecond laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy of coal."

Put simply, it's learning about coal.

She's trying to ramp up the burning efficiency of the black diamond. Her samples come from coal-rich China, and Sahar says the tests are best done where she is, for the top-notch lab in Tsinghua, and, for the future.

SAHAR ALI PHD CANDIDATE, TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY "Thinking of the Belt and Road Initiative, the study may be useful as Egypt and China work more on it. Moreover, I have experience and knowledge of Chinese ways that may contribute.

More will soon have that experience too."

SUN YE BEIJING "China announced last year that it will help Africa to groom 1,000 elite, or leaders of the future. It also promised over 50,000 exchange opportunities for Africa's youth."

At the newly launched China-Africa Leadership Development Institute (CALDI) at Tsinghua University, its co-president and former UNESCO Deputy Director-General Getachew Engida says youth hold the key to development.

GETACHEW ENGIDA, CO-PRESIDENT CHINA-AFRICA LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE "We identify one big problem that holds growth back: lack of leadership in Africa. To put more young Africans in leadership roles, we see the capacity and leadership building as especially needed at this point."

3 years in, Sahar says China has changed her.

SAHAR ALI PHD CANDIDATE, TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY "I'm more of a struggler now, willing to reach for goals that seem out of reach."

The quality future leaders may well need. SY, CGTN, BJ.