MUST – China Collaboration
The MUST family was happy to host guests from the Chinese Embassy; Mrs. ZHOU Meifen, Counselor (In-charge of Culture, Heritage and Sports) and Mr. YE Tianfa, Third Secretary (Education and Culture) on 3rd November, 2022. The guests were received by the University Management led by our Vice Chancellor, Prof. Romanus Odhiambo. This follows an earlier visit where, on 21st October, 2022, a team from MUST led by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Romanus Odhiambo, paid a courtesy call to the Chinese Chamber of Commerce. The team was received by Mr. William Zhuo (Chairman, Chinese Chamber of Commerce) and Mr. Wu Jun (Chief Executive Officer, Jingsh Africa Consultancy Limited) in a meeting that sought to discuss collaboration opportunities between Chinese Institutions and Meru University of Science and Technology.
Mrs. ZHOU exuded confidence in this collaboration and said that this was the start of a great partnership. The Vice Chancellor appreciated Mrs. ZHOU and Mr. YE for partnering with the University.
“This is indeed a great milestone for our University. We are going global!! This international exposure will; elevate the credentials of our students, create good networking opportunities, enhance cultural awareness and communication skills as well as uplift professional and personal development. This partnership will go a long way in strengthening the bond of friendship between the People of Kenya and the People of the Republic of China.” Prof. Romanus Odhiambo
The popularity of Chinese language and culture has continued to grow globally following the increasing realization of the important role China continues to play in the world. Through this partnership MUST will mount market-driven programmes and link the graduates with organizations interested in hiring employees proficient in the Chinese language. Through this collaboration MUST faculty and students will also learn from the experts of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) through on-site examinations and treatments for our faculty and students.
MUST will also benefit from this collaboration by opening a Luban workshop at the University in partnership with Tianjin City Vocation College (TVCV). This Luban workshop will be the second in Kenya.
During the visit Mrs. ZHOU and Mr. YE met with students and faculty from the School of Health Sciences (SHS) and School of Nursing (SoN). They committed to partner with MUST by;
- Sending a Chinese Teacher to MUST from the China Center for Language Education and Cooperation to teach Chinese language. The teacher’s expenses will be covered by the Chinese.
- Offering scholarships to our students who will be picked from the Luban workshop.
- Donating books to the University library.
The Chinese team also took the students and faculty through a 15-minute video on Acupuncture and moxibustion of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Acupuncture involves inserting thin needles into the body to stimulate sensory nerves in the skin and muscles. This helps treat chronic pain and other physical conditions. Moxibustion is a form of heat therapy in which dried plants called “moxa” are burned on or very near the surface of the skin so as to warm and revitalize the flow of Qi (vital energy) in the body and dispel certain pathogenic influences.
Mrs. ZHUO also gifted the Management, faculty and students Chinese traditional herbs whose fragrance has health benefits to the body
.