African students set their sights on China

Gerard Nkengurutse attends a high-level meeting in Beijing in August on collaboration between China and Africa on health personnel training. [Photo provided to China Daily]

For him, kung fu and the actor Jackie Chan were two of the star attractions when he came to China eight years ago. But when he set off on the 10,000-kilometer journey from his native Burundi to Dalian, he had a much more important matter on his mind.

On arrival, he joined thousands of other students from around the world who were embarking on a path through China to achieve their lifelong dream of becoming medical doctors.

"My country, as well as most others in Africa, lacks professional doctors," Nkengurutse said. "China is so developed in medicine and has helped my country a lot in building schools and hospitals. I appreciated that and thought it might be a good place to learn medicine."

Since the first Forum on China-Africa Cooperation was held in 2000, China has delivered more than $164 million in development aid to Burundi, including $9 million for construction of a hospital in Bubanza province.

One of Nkengurutse's classmates, Nasra Mohamound Ali, from Somalia, also said she came to China because of the country's leading role in medicine and its abundance of resources on medical studies.

She believes that by studying in the country she can realize her dream of becoming a doctor and helping her compatriots.