Africa-China and China-Africa: From knowledge diplomacy to research training

In the five years leading up to the Covid19 pandemic, the number of African doctoral researchers training in Chinese universities doubled to 8,000, with many on scholarships brokered through the diplomatic channels of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). With low rates of doctoral completion in many African higher education institutions, this community of early career researchers has the potential to influence academic practice in emerging research ecosystems.

Our analysis draws on interviews with Tanzanian, Ghanaian and Ethiopian doctoral researchers in China, and those who have returned to posts in African universities. Their stories highlight the symbolic and material impact of this Chinese ‘knowledge diplomacy’. This seminar focuses specifically on how experiences of Chinese research training are reshaping expectations around doctoral supervision and publishing in African universities.

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