The accreditation was formally done by high-profile officials of the Zhejiang Normal University (ZJNU), Zhejiang Province in Jinhua City, China, at a memorable ceremony held on Wednesday 13 November 2024 at the Zhejiang University conference room one.
The seminar ended with participants gaining deep understanding of the development of Chinese journalism and after learning advanced concepts of media management from the development of Chinese media.
The seminar also served as a bedrock to cementing exchanges with African journalists to enhance media practitioners with the language and culture of both nations.
In addition to knowledge gained from the intensive lectures, African journalists also visited Hangzhou, a city at the forefront of China's economic development, and Jingdezhen, a famous national historical and cultural city and a world capital of crafts and folk arts.
Delivering his closing statement, Zhu Yifeng, Vice President of Zhejiang Normal University, said culture becomes diverse through exchanges, and civilisations are enriched through mutual learning.
“We attended the 2024 China-Africa Cultural and Tourism Cooperation Conference and watched a special performance of Wuju Opera, among other colorful cultural activities,” he said, adding that this was jointly experiencing the unique charm and rich connotations of traditional Chinese culture, and deepening their understanding and friendship through exchanges and interactions.
“We firmly believe that this seminar is not only an important achievement of cooperation and exchange between our university and English-speaking African countries but also an important channel for promoting continuous and in-depth research between the two sides in the fields of economic development and human resources,” he stated.
He expressed optimism that in the foreseeable future, China-Africa relations will be further deepened, and cooperation in economic, trade, and humanistic fields will be closer.
Lassana Tunkara, deputy managing director at QTV in The Gambia, revealed that the seminar has been more than an academic or professional exercise. It has been a powerful reminder of the value of coming together, learning from each other and challenging their perspectives, he said.
“Over these past weeks, we have studied China’s approach to media, explored this nation’s approach to storytelling, and reflected on our shared responsibility as journalists to bring accurate, nuanced, and insightful stories to the world.”
He added: “Our discussions on global media trends, the role of technology in shaping our work and the diverse approaches to journalism across our cultures have left us with impressions that will stay with us.”
Tunkara applauded the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China for funding the visit to China and Mr Xiang Wei, the director General of the Foreign Languages Institute Affairs Committee, for his facilitation.
He commended Ms Xie Hong, project manager, and Mrs Ruan Beiye, project coordinator, for their tireless efforts, as well as other professors and lecturers.
Oluwatosin Kafayat Lawal, a participant from Nigeria, also commented: “A real food for thought here is that China has reordered the World New Information order and communication. Finding new partnerships across the globe will help accelerate the BRI Philosophy and create a world where peace, equity and justice reign.”
