- 23 UoN students have departed for Tianjin Normal University in China under a two-year scholarship programme to train as Chinese language teachers.
- Confucius Institute Director Wang Shangxue has said the programme aims to build Kenya’s own capacity to teach Chinese rather than rely on foreign teachers.
Twenty-three University of Nairobi (UoN) students have left for China under a specialised scholarship programme that will train them in Chinese language education before they return to teach in Kenyan schools.
The students left on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, for Tianjin Normal University, where they will spend two years under the 2+2 Joint Programme for International Chinese Language Education Scholarship Students.
The scholarship is being implemented through a tripartite partnership involving China’s Centre for Language Education and Cooperation, Tianjin Normal University and the University of Nairobi.
Confucius Institute Director Prof Wang Shangxue said the programme was designed to help Kenya develop its own capacity to teach Chinese rather than depend indefinitely on teachers from outside the country.
A representative of the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), Reuben Ntamburi, welcomed the programme and noted that Kenya had not employed Chinese teachers under the current Competency-Based Education (CBE) framework.
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The University of Nairobi has strengthened its admission requirements for the scholarship programme, according to Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs Prof John Mande, who said the standards had been raised to ensure beneficiaries were academically prepared for the opportunity.
This year, 36 Kenyan students have received scholarships under various China-linked programmes, including the 23 students travelling under the 2+2 programme, three pursuing bachelor’s studies and others undertaking short-term programmes.
In 2025, 245 Kenyans travelled to China under scholarship and exchange programmes. Other China-linked initiatives include the University of Nairobi’s Future Urban Builders Scholarship and a railway scholarship programme developing specialised skills for Kenya’s rail sector.
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China’s Charge d’Affaires Zhang Zhizhong addressed the students during the send-off, describing their journey as part of a broader effort to deepen people-to-people relations between Kenya and China.
According to UoN, the scholarship programmes reflect ongoing academic exchange and collaboration between Kenya and China, part of a wider relationship between the two countries spanning trade, infrastructure, technology, transport, investment, higher education and skills development.
By Hillary Muhalya
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