The Confucius Institute (CI) at Kenyatta University (KU) on Wednesday launched the CI alumni association to keep track of people who have attended the institute and to find out how they are using or benefiting from studying Chinese language.

Wang Xuezheng, the counsellor at the Chinese embassy in Kenya, said the alumni association will serve not only as a bond and link connecting those who share CI background but also serve as a bridge to connect the two countries.
"The CI alumni members are more than happy to introduce Kenya to China and its people. Taking this picture in mind, we will see more and more people-to-people exchanges, more win-win corporations and a long-lasting, mutual benefit relations between the two countries in future," he said.

Wang said the Chinese embassy in Kenya will continue to support the Confucius Institute in educational programs and in all other fields between China and Kenya.

Dr Kamau Wango, director of the CI at KU, said the alumni association will create the necessary networks among former students to assist each other in various Chinese related endeavors, opportunities and activities.
It will also create links with Chinese related enterprises as well as potential employers to seek appropriate job and business opportunities for CI graduates.

The association will also make necessary follow-ups on CI’s student data base as well as become a nerve center for national and global information and linkages pertaining to Chinese language and culture.

It is also expected to raise funds to ensure students who are good in Chinese are duly sponsored through alumni scholarships.

"We are very proud of our alumni and hope that they will play an important role in making sure that the association becomes a key element of how CI students can interact with each other, particularly when they leave the institute," Wango said.

Dr Martin Ogola, the director of KU alumni, said launch of the alumni association was a milestone for the CI at KU. He challenged the yet to be selected steering committee that as the pioneering team they will have a special task of laying a strong foundation for the group.

"The association will provide an excellent opportunity for networking. I urge the members to take advantage of the association to meet other alumni and make friends, sharpen network of contacts, exchange ideas and explore collaborations," he said.

The CI at KU was unveiled in 2008, becoming the second CI in Kenya. It has grown over the years and graduated thousands of students at various levels of Chinese language proficiency. The institute seeks to link prospective careers among students with the acquisition of Chinese as a foreign language.

Contact with the writer at edithmutethya@chinadaily.com.cn.