Quality Education and International Partnership for Textile and Fashion

Abstract

China–Africa cooperation, in general, started in the early sixties of the last century. Most of the cooperation and relations between China and Africa began in many fields, including development projects, trade, education, financial support, etc. In regard to the textile sector in Africa, China was known as a leading country in textile trade and machinery. As an example, in Sudan, China established one of the biggest textile firms in the late sixties of the last century. I, as a textile student, in 1984 did my training and indusial attachment in this factory, and I have known a lot during this period of attachment. Again, another clothing factory was established by the Chinese government as a joint investment with the Sudanese government, and it was the biggest clothing firm in the country. Both factories had a positive impact on development and society’s welfare. I think such projects were also established in different African countries. Regarding textile engineering and fashion education, the University of Gezira, located in the central region of Sudan, had signed an MOU with CTU (China textile University) in Shanghai, China. That was in the early nineties of the last century, and accordingly, six staff members from the University of Gezira in the department of textile engineering and technology had benefitted scholarships for MSc degrees and research scholars. This program was the first MSc program in CTU taught in English and was highly successful. Since then, relations between the university of Gezira and CTU (lately became DHU—Donghua university) have continued in an excellent manner and are still reflecting a model of bilateral academic relations. During this period, many fellows from different African countries had been studying for their graduate and postgraduate degrees. Many colleagues I knew were still keeping good academic collaboration, and on the basis of our study in China, we are still continuing in research programs and other academic relations. This is to say that our study in China gave us this fruitful chance for better and close bilateral relations. Thus, many successful research projects were carried out with counterparts in both universities and with other African universities, especially those sponsored by the Belt and Road initiative of China.