10月12日，《中国日报》推出四联版专题聚焦湖南大学，第 8 版刊发题为《Hunan University extends its reach worldwide》的报道，全面展示学校国际化办学实践与全球合作网络建设成果。报道重点呈现湖南大学在中非教育科研领域的系统布局：依托非洲研究院建设马达加斯加、加纳两大国别研究中心，搭建集智库研究、产业赋能、人文交流于一体的合作平台；举办中非经贸合作岳麓论坛、中非大学校长论坛等品牌活动，推动中非联合研究与人才联合培养走深走实；组织师生赴非洲实地调研，以青年力量促进中非人文交流。此外，湖南大学开展海外研学、国际暑期学校等多元国际化项目，以全球交流助力学科建设与人才培养。
《中国日报》2026年10月12日第8版。
Hunan University extends its reach worldwide
Madagascar center,landmark design conference and overseas study programs strengthen academic partnerships and talent development
Participants in the China-Africa University Presidents Forum on Frontiers of Education Development pose for a photo during a visit to Hunan University's Institute of African Studies on Sept 23.
Madagascar's Prime Minister Mamitiana Rajaonarison recently visited Hunan University to unveil the Research Center for Madagascar under the university's Institute of African Studies.
The center will function as an academic platform integrating think-tank research, industrial empowerment and people-to-people exchanges. It will support efforts to deepen the China-Madagascar comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and advance high-quality economic and trade cooperation between Hunan province and Madagascar.
Building on previous work, the center has produced a diverse set of interdisciplinary research and cultural outcomes, including a Madagascar-focused knowledge chatbot, a documentary on hybrid rice cooperation, and an artificial intelligence-generated short drama in Malagasy, as well as research advances in tropical agriculture and specialized chips.
It will also forge stronger strategic partnerships with Malagasy universities such as the University of Antananarivo to sustain vibrant academic exchanges.
In addition to its Madagascar research center, the university has also established a Ghana Research Center, unveiled on April 30 by Samia Yaba Nkrumah, founder and president of the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Pan-African Centre.
The Ghana center is designed to serve as a comprehensive platform integrating academic research, think tank consultation, database development, talent cultivation and international cooperation. Its research will focus on Pan-African thought and development philosophy, Ghana's national governance and economic transformation, regional cooperation in West Africa, and China-Ghana economic and trade cooperation as well as people-to-people exchanges.
The launch of these two centers stems from Hunan University's long-standing engagement with Africa. Leveraging the three key bodies — the Institute of African Studies, the China-Africa Economic and Trade Research Institute and the China-Africa Culture Exchange Center — the university has steadily expanded its cooperation with African countries in think-tank research, talent development, interuniversity ties and industrial empowerment.
Hunan University regularly hosts the China-Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation Yuelu Forum, bringing together African diplomats in China, scholars and entrepreneurs to explore Sino-African trade cooperation opportunities. The forum has grown into a vital venue for China-Africa intellectual exchange.
On Sept 22, the university hosted the China-Africa University Presidents Forum on Frontiers of Education Development, under the theme of Co-creating a Smart Future: China-Africa Higher Education Cooperation and Innovative Development.
Representatives from 15 universities across 13 African countries, including the University of Dar es Salaam and the University of Nairobi, attended the forum, alongside delegates from more than 10 Chinese peer universities.
The forum, listed as a flagship event of the China-Africa Year of Cultural and People-to-People Exchanges, took the release of initiatives and the signing of inter-university agreements as a fresh starting point. It is expected to drive China-Africa university cooperation into a new stage of systematic and sustainable development.
Looking ahead, all participants will continue to expand cooperation in digital education, joint research, two-way youth exchanges and industry-education integration, pooling the strengths of universities to contribute their wisdom to China-Africa modernization.
In addition, during the summer of 2025, the university sent faculty members and students in batches to Kenya and South Africa for field research. Centered on China-Africa people-to-people exchanges, the teams visited Chinese institutions in Africa, local organizations, international organizations and Chinese-funded enterprises.
Their work offered youth perspectives on deepening China-Africa exchanges and channeling youthful commitment into the broad undertaking of building a China-Africa community with a shared future.
Global network
Beyond its Africa-oriented initiatives, Hunan University's schools are leveraging their disciplinary strengths to build an extensive global cooperation network, yielding notable outcomes in international engagement.
The School of Architecture and Planning has kept expanding overseas student-exchange opportunities. Its faculty and students have produced an increasing body of work at events including the World Design Cities Conference and international architectural competitions, underscoring the school's progress toward high-caliber talent development.
In July 2025, the school held a 10-day summer workshop in Japan for 23 faculty members and students. The group toured Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, visited prestigious universities like the University of Tokyo and Waseda University, and studied Japan's historical buildings and modern architectural landmarks. The program deepened participants' insights into Chinese and Japanese architectural cultures.
In August, the school hosted the Chinese Government Scholarship International Summer School Program, centered on contemporary urban-rural design practice in China from the perspective of architectural cultural heritage. It drew 38 participants from seven countries.
High-level academic lectures were delivered during the event, covering topics ranging from the conservation of Hunan's ancient architecture and the regeneration of historic districts to digital technologies in architecture.
Bernd Nentwig, a professor at Bauhaus University Weimar, Germany, said that the program showcased innovative Chinese approaches to architectural heritage conservation and sustainable urban-rural development to young audiences worldwide.
The endeavors spanning platform building, scholarly dialogue and overseas learning illustrate the breadth of Hunan University's international footprint. By embracing exchanges and cultivating talent through global engagement, the university is turning its growing international connections into lasting momentum for disciplinary advancement and talent training.
By HAO NAN | China Daily
haonan@chinadaily.com.cn
