China-Africa in numbers: Education exchange

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Ahmed Deabes, from Egypt, is studying at Beijing Information Science and Technology University. He learned Chinese fast and even dabbled in singing in Chinese.

He has competed in a talent show, performing a popular Chinese song called "By the Lake Baikal."

Deabes's classmates have worked with him on the correct pronunciation of lyrics during rehearsals and cheered for him when on stage.

"I am very lucky to have these friends," Deabes said, referring to his classmates. "I may return to Egypt in the future, but I hope I can often come back to see them."

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The young man is one of many Africans studying in China.

The Chinese government pledged scholarships to at least 1,500 Egyptian students in 2016 to study in China over the following three years.

China has now become a prime destination for African students wanting to study overseas, boosted by a scholarship scheme announced by Beijing in 2006.

In 2003, there were less than 1,800 African students enrolled in Chinese universities – in 2016, the number swelled to over than 60,000.

The number of African university students in China surpasses both that of those pursuing tertiary education in the US and the UK (each hosts around 40,000 African students), but trails slightly behind France.

At the 2015 Forum on China–Africa Cooperation, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced that China would implement "ten major plans" to boost cooperation with Africa, including supporting 30,000 African students with government scholarships.

Through training projects, Chinese and African students share technological and managerial know-how to support the next chapter of their homelands' development.