[Benin] Tiando Sinonmatohou Damien, China University of Geosciences （Wuhan）
Eight years ago, I came to China University of Geosciences (CUG) from the Republic of Benin in western Africa, and started my doctoral study. At that time, I had no idea of my future, and only wished to explore a bigger world.
Now, holding the heavy doctoral certificate and the earnest trust from my supervisors, I stand at the next crossroads of my life with greater responsibility. Where should I go? What should I do? I think China has given me the best answer.
Innovation is my responsibility. As a slogan for the city’s image, “Wuhan, different everyday” has been turned into reality during the past eight years. I have been surprised by the dramatic changes in the city, which has grasped every opportunity and made great efforts in innovation of theory, institution, science and technology, culture and other aspects to promote the development of various industries. Even though it had been attacked by the COVID-19 epidemic, Wuhan has never stopped its pace of development. Throughout China, cities like Wuhan can be found everywhere. They can adapt to the changes in development and regard innovation as the first driving force of progress. I hope to bring this power of innovation to Africa and let African people feel the charm of innovative development.
Coordination is my responsibility. Now China has built a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and has historically solved the problem of absolute poverty. It is one of the few countries that have achieved the poverty alleviation goal of the United Nations 2030 sustainable development plan 10 years ahead of schedule. It has also provided assistance to developing countries within its capabilities, making a major contribution to the cause of global poverty reduction. China’s efforts to narrow the regional gap, the gap between urban and rural areas, the distribution gap, and to avoid the problem of polarization are obvious to the world.
Chinese government has been gradually promoting the common prosperity of all its people, the coordinated development of material civilization and spiritual civilization, and the all-round development of human beings, the enrichment of materials and the progress of society, realizing the harmonious coexistence between man and nature, and embarking on the road of civilized development with production development, rich life and good ecology. Relying on self-reliance and hard work, China has achieved modernization and promoted the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind. It will bring new hope to human development. All these are about China in the eyes of Africans as well as in the eyes of African youths. To achieve coordinated development in Africa is my duty.
Green is my responsibility. My alma mater, CUG, has been committed to promoting green development. In 2021, CUG (Wuhan) signed a comprehensive strategic cooperation agreement with China African Research Institute. Now we are actively promoting the cooperation with the China Geological Survey and will soon establish the “Africa Institute, Center for China-Africa Geoscience Cooperation Research.” In the future, our university will continue to give full play to its comprehensive advantages in geology, mineral resources, energy, environment, ocean and space science, and devote itself to the green development path. As a PhD graduate of CUG, I will keep in mind the enlightenment of my alma mater and promote green development to Africa.
Opening-up is my responsibility. An African proverb goes, “If you want to walk fast, walk alone. But if you want to walk far, walk together.” China has actively advocated and promoted the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind and put forward a new vision for the development of human society. Building a community with a shared future for mankind is China’s correct grasp of the development of the world economy in the direction of openness, inclusiveness, general favor, balance and win-win results. It is China’s firm choice for opening-up, strengthening global cooperation and promoting the construction of an open global economy. It is also my sacred mission as an African youth.
Sharing is my responsibility. The world today is experiencing great changes that have not been seen in a century. The sudden outbreak of COVID-19 is a severe test for the world. The Chinese people have the “Chinese dream” to realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and Africa is making joint efforts for self-improvement, development and revitalization in accordance with the “African dream” described in Africa Agenda 2063.
This is an ambitious plan to transform countries on the African continent into global powers. The “Chinese dream” and the “African dream” are fully compatible, which requires China and Africa to work hand in hand with win-win cooperation for common development to promote the construction of a community with a shared future for both. All mankind is a unity, and the Earth is our common home.
Only by embracing the world can we embrace tomorrow; only by working together can we make steady progress. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has become a great river that gathers about 200 countries and regions, from yesterday’s small stream. As an important practice platform for building a community with a shared future for mankind, BRI provides new opportunities and expands new development space for countries along the routes, injects new impetus and opens up a new path for world economic recovery.
In the face of the challenges and opportunities at this moment, we young people must realize that we shoulder the great responsibility of inheriting Chinese and African civilization. We have the opportunity to make wise choices and further strengthen the future of China-Africa cooperation. Being a participant, we should understand each other; African youths should take the initiative to understand China and integrate into China.
Chinese youths should also go to Africa to exchange and learn more; to be contributors, we should learn from the experiences of both sides, unremittingly deepen the traditional friendship between the two sides, and make progress hand in hand; to be leaders, we should integrate knowledge with action, work hard, become a generation with vision and ability, become the elites and leaders of the future society, promote active reform, and take the initiative to promote the construction of a community with a shared future in China and Africa.
At the Fourth China Forum, I shared the touching stories I had experienced on the CUG campus after the epidemic; at the Global Promotion Conference for Hubei Province organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, I introduced Wuhan, Hubei to the world; at the First African Student Forum, I said that I would work with Chinese youths to contribute to the progress and development of China, Africa and the world; at the First Conference on Dialogue between Chinese and African Civilizations, I felt once again the tremendous contributions made by the Belt and Road Initiative to the countries and regions along the routes, to the development of the world and to the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind.
The new era belongs to new generations. The young people in China and Africa should be energetic, courageous, responsible and adventurous. Thanks to the eight years of beautiful encounter with China, it has helped me understand this responsibility and made me an international youth to shoulder heavy responsibilities. Let’s work together to build a better world.
The story is from "My Beautiful Encounter with China" Essay Competition organized by the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchanges (CSCSE).
