CoME Party Secretary Mao Zhaofang Led a Delegation to Visit African Countries Along the "Belt and Road" Initiative, Engaging in Discussions and Exchanges with Chinese-funded Enterprises in Africa

From June 14th to 22nd, Party Secretary of the College of Management and Economics (hereafter called CoME), Mao Zhaofang, along with Zhang Shuibo, dean of the International Engineering School of Management, and He Zhen, director of the Department of Industrial Engineering, visited Chinese-invested enterprises in South Africa, Kenya, and Ethiopia for research and exchanges, contributing strength of Tianjin University (hereafter called TJU) to the development of these enterprises in Africa.

The delegation visited five enterprises in succession: Goldwind Science&Technology's overseas subsidiary, Goldwind Africa (Johannesburg, South Africa), China National Energy Co., Ltd. Longyuan South Africa Renewable Energy Company (Cape Town, South Africa), China Railway Engineering Group Limited's East Africa Regional Headquarters, China Road and Bridge Corporation's Africa Star Railway Operation Company (Nairobi, Kenya), and China First Highway Engineering Co.,Ltd.'s East Africa Regional Center (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia).

First Stop: Goldwind Africa

Mao Zhaofang first introduced the development of CoME, the characteristics of disciplines, and the original purpose of visiting Belt and Road countries in Africa. He hoped that through overseas service research, theoretical and practical aspects could be combined to explore the experiences and challenges faced by Chinese-funded enterprises in Africa. By promoting industry-academia-research cooperation, the international sustainable development capabilities of Chinese enterprises along the Belt and Road Initiative could be enhanced. Zhao Wenbin, market sales director of Goldwind Africa, and responsible comrades from various business management teams including engineering, finance, legal affairs, and business, warmly welcomed the TJU delegation. They provided detailed introductions on the current status of the wind power industry, Goldwind International's global layout, and particularly the progress of projects and local development in the African market. TJU delegation engaged in in-depth discussions with Goldwind Africa on issues and challenges encountered in project investment, construction and operation, market competition, and talent strategy.

Second Stop: CHN Energy Longyuan

Longyuan South Africa Renewable Energy Company's deputy general managers Sheng Bin, in production, and Wang Wei, in finance, warmly welcomed the visiting delegation from TJU. Sheng Bin provided a comprehensive introduction to Longyuan's development of wind power projects in South Africa, covering aspects such as bidding, financing, construction, and operations. He also highlighted Longyuan's notable achievements in fulfilling social responsibilities and engaging in cross-cultural communication in South Africa. Representing the CoME, Mao Zhaofang focused on the development of the college's disciplines, particularly emphasizing the significance of industry-education integration supported by the unique direction of international engineering management, aimed at serving countries along the Belt and Road Initiative. Zhang Shuibo shared his experiences in high-end training and overseas educational services, particularly in supporting central enterprises' overseas engineering projects. He highly praised Longyuan's wind power projects in South Africa for their sustainability, modest scale, and benefits to local communities. Both sides expressed that this visit enhanced mutual understanding and awareness between the university and the enterprise. They agreed that it lays a solid foundation for CoME to better serve the overseas development of Chinese enterprises along the Belt and Road Initiative with its traditional strengths.

Third Stop: CREC East Africa

The general manager and deputy secretary of the Party Working Committee of China Railway Engineering Group Limited's East Africa Regional Headquarters, Shen Jie, led a delegation to hold discussions with representatives from TJU. Shen Jie briefed them on the development history, business scope, and international expansion strategies, focusing particularly on its regional market in East Africa, operational status, and major flagship projects. These projects encompass various fields such as highways, bridges, airports, ports, housing construction, municipal engineering, and real estate development. TJU delegation engaged in in-depth discussions with the China Railway team on topics including construction in Belt and Road regions, localization of investments, industrial transfers, and employment opportunities for TJU students. Following the meeting, TJU delegation conducted on-site research at the comprehensive development project, the Bellevue Apartments, located in Nairobi.

Fourth Stop: Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR)

Accompanied by Yin Chengzhu, party secretary of the African Star Railway Operation Company of China Road and Bridge Corporation, and Han Zhantao, assistant general manager, the delegation from TJU conducted an on-site investigation of the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway. They traveled the entire line on the Nairobi-Mombasa railway train, conducting surveys at Nairobi Station, Maai Mahiu Station, and the Naivasha Inland Container Depot to understand the organization and operation of passenger and freight services at these stations. Zhang Shuibo expressed that the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway, as a flagship project and exemplary case under the Belt and Road Initiative, possesses unique features in its passenger and freight operations, localization efforts, and skills training. He emphasized the importance of further disseminating and learning from these valuable experiences through academic and research platforms. Mao Zhaofang expressed hopes for further strengthening collaboration between universities and enterprises to refine and elevate the construction experience of the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway, thereby continuing to support more Chinese companies in participating in the development and construction under the Belt and Road Initiative.

Fifth Stop: China First Highway Engineering Co.,Ltd.'s East Africa Regional Center

Tao Hong, secretary of the party working committee of the East Africa Regional Center of China First Highway Engineering Co.,Ltd., led a delegation to hold discussions with representatives from TJU. Tao Hong provided a detailed introduction to the overall development and operational status of the company in East Africa, particularly in Ethiopia, focusing on key ongoing projects such as the housing program, the Ethiopia Airport Program, and tourism resorts. He warmly welcomed and thanked TJU delegation for their support to Chinese enterprises participating in the Belt and Road Initiative. Both sides engaged in in-depth discussions on the localization and internationalization of the company, reaching preliminary cooperation intentions in research projects, employee training, and collaborative case studies. They expressed anticipation for broader and deeper industry-academia-research cooperation. Following the meeting, TJU delegation conducted an on-site survey of the construction project of the Addis Ababa National Stadium. Additionally, they visited the Addis Ababa Science and Technology University, a partner of its Ethiopia Housing Program, where they explored potential cooperation in academic development, faculty exchange, and educational projects with Professor Dereje Engida, the university's president.

On the occasion of the 11th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative, the delegation's visit to African countries along the Belt and Road holds significant meaning. This visit aims to implement our university's commitment to serving national major strategies and supporting the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative. It seeks to fully align with the practical needs of Chinese enterprises in Africa, strengthen academic exchanges and collaboration with African universities, and inject new momentum into international industry-education integration, innovative development, and Sino-African inter-school cooperation.