Sailing on a smooth route

The Shanghai university has also signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement with Tianyuan Manganese Industry Group, a leading global producer of electrolytic manganese metal based in Ghana, to work together in areas such as international student internship, scholarship sponsoring and industry research.

Zheng Shiyuan, a professor at a college for transport and communications who went to RMU twice in 2017 and 2018, pointed out that the shipping industry in Africa has received a boost because of the joint program.

In addition to learning about the shipping and logistics industry in Africa, Wang Xuefeng, another professor who once taught at RMU, says he values the opportunity to teach in an international environment and be involved in cross-cultural interactions in Africa.

Wang says: "We lived with local people and our landlord sometimes cooked Cantonese cuisine for us, which she learned during a trip to Guangdong province. We also went fishing sometimes.

"I was impressed that African students are so hospitable and so thirsty for knowledge."

Thompson Anu, an undergraduate in logistics management, says he was also impressed with his one-year stint at SMU.

"It was enriching to learn about logistics and how it works both at home in Ghana and here in China as it gives us various perspectives," he says.

Anu adds that the facilities provided during their class at SMU also helped in making the learning experience special.

"Students learn using software such as Flexsim and Sealink, which help us to make good decisions and solve logistics problems more efficiently. The Sealink software encourages fast movement of information in the shipping industry and is helping the industry to go paperless," he says.

Abudu Ruhaimatu from Ghana shares the same sentiment.

"Here, we are not only taught from books, so that makes the program practical and useful and not just abstract," says Ruhaimatu, who also likes that students at SMU have access to a comprehensive library that helps with research.

After spending a year in Shanghai, Ruhaimatu says she is able to make a positive impact at home using the skills she has learned.

"It isn't only about what we have learned in class, but also what we have experienced. The delivery centers and services in China are superb. Ghana's online marketing scene is also not as advanced as in China," she says.

In fact, Ruhaimatu had even written a proposal to set up a marketing platform in Africa during her project management class.

"I believe we can do the same in Africa. I had a good recommendation from the professor from that course who encouraged me to bring it to light."

Baffoe agrees. He says: "Africa can stand on its own two feet when it comes to international trade in the future, when the younger generation is prepared to meet the bigger demands ahead of us. This program is helping to fulfill that vision. I am glad the leadership of SMU and RMU took the initiative to establish this program."

Contact the writer at caochen@chinadaily.com.cn