George from Cameroon, 31 years old, came to China in 2017. He has completed his master's and doctoral degree education, majoring in agricultural machinery at the College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, in Hunan Agricultural University (HUNAU).

This summer, George and his research teammates came to Huashan Village, Jingzi Town, in Shuangfeng County. The county, renowned as a "hub for small-sized agricultural machinery", has an array of companies and institutions researching and developing small-sized machines for hilly land. George and his teammates communicated with local technical staff on the operations of small-sized agricultural machines and discussed the technical difficulties in improving the performance of machines.

George examines an agriculture machine at the agricultural mechanization engineering training center of HUNAU. (Photo/Wu Bohua)

"Cameroon's plateau and mountainous terrains present challenges for agriculture, resulting in low efficiency and high production costs," explained George. Currently, more than 80% of our rice supply is still dependent on imports. The shortage of technical personnel, the impeded marketing channels, and the difficulties in maintaining, repairing, and replacing machinery parts all restrict the agricultural mechanization progress in Cameroon. "HUNAU has provided me with targeted training on research and operations, from laboratories to fields and from classrooms to factories. After graduation, I want to take my agricultural expertise back to my homeland, and also bring back marketing resources, as a representative of the cooperation between China and Cameroon in agricultural technology and trade." 

Dominic from Nigeria has been studying at the School of Information Science and Engineering, in the Hunan Institute of Science and Technology (HNIST) since 2016, focusing on agricultural informatization. "The applications of big data, sensory equipment, and AI technology are well-developed in Chinese agricultural production. However, Nigeria is just at the starting point of adopting these technologies," he said.

In his opinion, Nigeria has fertile soil and rich agricultural resources. However, conventional farming methods are still used, causing low production efficiency. Informatization and smart technologies will be good options for Nigeria's agricultural development.

Dominic (R) conducts an experiment at the microbiology lab of the HUNAU College of Environment and Ecology. (Photo/Wu Bohua)

"I love both Nigeria and China. I wish to have more academic exchanges and cooperation through interactions, and enhance friendship between the researchers of both countries," he said.
To enhance the utility of his specialized training in China, Dominic has kept in touch with the researchers and friends in his hometown, expecting to introduce China's sensors and other advanced equipment to Nigeria.

In 2022, Dominic began to study for a doctoral degree at the HUNAU College of Environment and Ecology, choosing to pursue coursework in "the application of corn stalk synthesized biochar in contaminated soil remediation". "I will make use of my studies in China to broaden my horizons and improve my ability," he said. 

"Agriculture is a common concern of both China and Africa. As China and Africa continuously enhance trade and technical exchanges, there will be more opportunities for start-ups and broad prospects of development," said Igor, a postgraduate student from the Democratic Republic of Congo who began his Masters studies at the HUNAU School of Food Science and Technology in 2021.

 
This article is from the Hunan Provincial Government www.enghunan.gov.cn.

Translator: Pang Yuehui

Chinese source: Xinhua