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The Deputy Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Sarjoh Aziz-Kamara, has been officially recognized as a Dongfang Scholar by Peking University, China.
The recognition followed his participation in a month-long fellowship programme from 20th October to 18th November, alongside 51 emerging leaders representing countries across Africa, Asia, Central and South America, the Pacific, and Oceania.
The fellowship offered a comprehensive opportunity to study China’s history, culture, development models, technological innovation, and educational transformation. Academic sessions were delivered by distinguished professors at Peking University, complemented by visits from visiting scholars, providing participants with insight into China’s approach to sustainable development and education reform.
Field visits in Hunan and Xinjiang provinces further exposed the Deputy Minister to Chinese culture and development practices. Engagements with local communities highlighted the impact of China’s poverty alleviation efforts and long-term national development strategies.
During the programme, Deputy Minister Aziz-Kamara engaged with high-level officials from the leadership of the Communist Party of China. He served as a keynote speaker at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing and with Hunan provincial authorities, where he commended China’s development achievements and its enduring partnership with the Global South.
In his remarks, he reiterated Africa’s call for urgent reform of the United Nations Security Council on behalf of Sierra Leone, echoing President Bio’s continued advocacy for Africa’s permanent membership.
The Deputy Minister also acknowledged China’s substantial contribution to Sierra Leone’s human capital development. He highlighted that over 500 Sierra Leoneans have benefited from full scholarships in Chinese universities to date, while more than 5,000 personnel have undertaken short-term courses aimed at enhancing skills for national development.
In addition to the academic engagements, Deputy Minister Aziz-Kamara strengthened partnerships with Chinese institutions. He visited Beifang Automotive in Beijing to expand collaboration on in-house and online training for electric vehicle maintenance and the provision of training equipment to technical institutes.
He also finalized a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Wuhan University to promote research and academic collaboration with Sierra Leone’s higher education institutions.
Upon completing the programme, Deputy Minister Aziz-Kamara was presented with a certificate by the President of Peking University and officially recognized as an alumnus, with full rights and privileges associated with the university.
