The success of the China-Africa relationship depends on the wellbeing of Africans in China and Chinese in Africa, says an article published on the Africa at LSE blog, co-authored by Lingnan’s Prof Padmore Adusei Amoah. According to the article, Sino-African relations are deeply influenced by the experiences of ordinary people who are affected by the policies emerging from macro-level engagements. Putting ordinary people at the centre of macro-level engagements will ultimately lead to approaches which ensure the sustainability of the relationship, says the article.
Prof Padmore Adusei Amoah
Students interested in Prof Amoah’s innovative take on Sino-African relations should consider Lingnan University’s MA in International Affairs (China-Africa Studies). This MA aims to debunk the many myths surrounding the Sino-African relationship by revealing what is really going on between the countries at the human level. The postgraduate programme addresses the need for a serious comparative international understanding of the deepening relationship between China and African countries.
In the article on the Africa at LSE blog, Prof Amoah notes that the ‘win-win’ approach which has been used to describe the China/Africa relationship can only be truly manifested if the policies emerging from these relations are reflected in the lives of ordinary people. In situations where various bilateral and multilateral agreements are not understood by ordinary people, and do not positively affect ordinary people, the resulting tensions will negatively affect the China-Africa relationship.
Experience a unique programme
The content of Prof Amoah’s LSE Africa article reflects a unique facet of Lingnan’s MA in International Affairs (China-Africa Studies) programme. The concentration offers students insights into the macro-level engagements that occur between China and Africa countries, and highlights the effects of these engagements on ordinary people. Some courses emphasise how the lives of ordinary people are affected by the intensification of China-Africa relations, while others detail how individuals and institutions are shaping the China-Africa relationship in their own unique way.
Lingnan’s MA in International Affairs (China-Africa Studies) is probably the first degree-bearing programme to focus on China-Africa relations. The programme is designed to be balanced, taking into consideration both the theoretical and empirical aspects of the China-Africa relationship. Unlike most programmes on international relations, the programme adopts an interdisciplinary approach which features courses and topics which relate to different disciplines, including political science, cultural studies, sociology, geography, and economics.
The courses also include experiential components in which students can interact with renowned scholars and experts in the various sub-fields of China-Africa studies via international symposia and conferences. The goal is to ensure that students are aware of the most up-to-date scholarship and research trends in the field.
Develop a nuanced view
Lingnan’s MA course presents a nuanced view of the relationship between China and Africa. An important goal of the programme is to train students to critically evaluate the multidisciplinary and multi-sectoral relations between China and Africa from historical, contemporary, theoretical, and empirical perspectives. The programme provides students with the resources they need to acquire the skills and knowledge to explore and draw their own conclusions about this complex set of international relations.
The MA is designed for anyone interested in this field of inquiry. Students will learn about the theoretical and empirical aspects of China-Africa relations. They will also learn how to take account of all the actors involved, including national institutions, private actors (which includes businesses), individuals (for example, students and other migrants seeking to tap into the opportunities being created), and even householders whose everyday lives are affected by the growing relationship.
Examine current trends
The programme keeps abreast of new developments like the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 is changing the way governments and private individuals and businesses do things. Its political and economic consequences will certainly affect various bilateral and multilateral international relations, including those of China and various African nations. Contents of the eight courses in the programme consider such changes. For instance, students will be tasked to explore China’s support to African nations in the fight against the pandemic.
Geographically, Lingnan is located very near to Hong Kong’s border with China’s Guangdong province, where the majority of African migrants are settled, and many others regularly come to trade or study. The university’s faculty boasts very strong Africa-related expertise, and in recent years its research capability in this field has been further developed. A liberal arts university, such as Lingnan, can bring a unique perspective to the study of China-Africa relations, a subject which is fundamentally about developing a better understanding between people from historically different cultures.