By Liu Jian

li Anshan， President of the chinese Society of African Historical Studies， is a well-known Chinese scholar who has dedicated himself to African studies for more than 30 years. He has witnessed the development of African studies in China over the years.

“In the 1980s， there were very few research institutions dedicated to Africa in the country，” said Li.

As the ties between China and Africa grow， there is an increasing need for the Chinese Government， enterprises and individuals to know more about Africa. “This need has stimulated African studies in the country，” Li said.

During the past three decades， domestic African studies institutions have increased from several to over 20. Centers for African studies have been established at Chinese universities one after another， while seminars， conferences and forums have also been frequently held to increase exchanges and dialogue between Chinese and African scholars.

“African studies in China has gradually moved away from its original political orientation to become a wideranging academic discipline，” Li commented， adding that many scholars now focus on history， geography， economics， literature， ethnic studies and cultural studies.

African studies have also deepened as well. “As more scholars and students have opportunities to visit African countries， their analysis and views are getting closer to Africas real conditions，” he said.

Boom on campuses

Li is also director of both the Institute of Afro-Asian Studies and the Center for African Studies at Peking University （PKU）， which is the forerunner in the field of African studies.

Scholars at PKU first took up African studies after the Peoples Republic of China was founded in 1949， and they have made pioneering contributions to African studies in China. The earliest Sino-African educational cooperation and academic exchanges were conducted between PKU and Cairo University of Egypt.

PUKs Center for African Studies is also one of the first institutions of this nature established on Chinese campus. As an interdisciplinary institute for comprehensive African research， it consists of teachers and research fellows from different departments and institutes at the university.

East China Normal University （ECNU） has a special focus on African historical and cultural studies， particularly in East Africa. Last December， the Symposium on Eastern African Historical and Cultural Studies was hosted at ECNU in Shanghai.

“We hold this conference with the aim of building an academic exchange platform for African historical and cultural studies， particularly those focusing on East Africa，”said Mu Tao， Director of ECNUs Institute of African Studies.

“Basic research in fields like historical and cultural studies is important， because many practical questions in Africa have their roots in history，” Mu told ChinAfrica. “One needs to look at history to understand Africas current conditions and problems，” he added.“Historical and cultural studies on Africa help us to better understand the needs of African countries，”said Sun Baohong， Deputy Director General of the African Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the conference.

The Institute of African Studies at Zhejiang Normal University （ZNU） also excels in African studies among Chinese universities. It launched the First China-Africa Think Tanks Forum in 2011 and the second meeting was successfully held in Bishoftu， Ethiopia last October. This initiative has created a shared platform for dialogue and exchanges between Chinese and African think tanks.

Chinas first Africa-oriented business school was established at ZNU in 2010. The school enrolls students for masters degrees in China-Af- rica Business Management， and also provides vocational training for African enterprises in China and Africa-based Chinese enterprises. “The school is aimed at training professional business management personnel who understand both Africa and China，” said Wu Fengmin， ZNUs President.

ZNUs African Museum is the first of its kind on the Chinese mainland and showcases African art and culture. More than 500 pieces of various traditional African artworks are on display. It is open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays， and attracts many visitors.

Apart from PKU， ECNU and ZNU， other Chinese universities also set up centers for African studies with different focuses based on their own academic superiorities. For example， the Center for African Laws and Society at Xiangtan University focuses on the study of African laws， while the Institute of African Studies at Nanjing University excels at researching African geography and agriculture.

In addition， since the Ministry of Education launched the 20+20 Cooperation Project for China-Africa Universities in 2010， 40 Chinese and African universities （20 on each side） have worked together and conducted exchanges in a wide range of areas， including agriculture， education， law and sciences. The cooperation has integrated the academic resources of the universities from the two sides， providing an academic platform for joint research and cooperation.

Practical significance

Chinas research institutions dedicated to Africa are also working to maintain a balance between their academic research and the practical significance of their research findings.

“People have realized that more cooperation between practical work and academic research is needed， since the government needs information， analysis and assessment， while academia needs funding， stimulus and feedback，” Li Anshan noted.

Sun Baohong echoes Lis view. “Scholars research findings offer guidance for diplomatic work， especially in the area of African affairs，” she told ChinAfrica.

The Chinese Government also attaches great importance to the academic research on Africa. “China will continue to implement the China-Africa Joint Research and Exchange Plan to sponsor 100 programs for research， exchange and cooperation by academic institutions and scholars of the two sides，” said Chinese President Hu Jintao at the Fifth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in July 2012.

Exchanges and interaction between the Chinese Government and academic institutions have strengthened. According to Li， some government departments， such as the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs， hold consultation meetings on a regular basis to seek advice from experts. Scholars research findings also guide policymakers decision-making.