On December 4, 2025, a delegation led by Dr. Abdulkadir Kedir, Vice President of Mekelle University in Ethiopia, visited East China University of Science and Technology (ECUST). Vice President Yan Haifeng met with the guests at the Yifu Building, where the two parties reached multiple consensuses on deepening inter-university cooperation and jointly establishing a Belt and Road International MBA program. The delegation also included Shi Yongsheng, Dean of the College of Mind Education; Dr. Haddush Goitom, Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology; and Dr. Hailemichael Tesfay, Dean of the College of Business and Economics, all from Mekelle University.
Caption: Group photo of both parties
Yan Haifeng extended a warm welcome to the delegation on behalf of the university. He noted that since the first visit by Dean Shi Yongsheng in November 2024, the two institutions have maintained frequent interactions with steadily warming cooperation. The visit by the Vice President and his delegation marks a substantive phase in their bilateral relations. Yan emphasized that Ethiopia, as a new member of the BRICS group in 2024, has become a new focal point for China-Africa cooperation. ECUST is willing to join hands with Mekelle University to contribute academic wisdom and cultivate talent for global governance and South-South cooperation under the BRICS framework.
Vice President Kedir expressed gratitude for ECUST's warm reception. He stated that Mekelle University is Ethiopia's top national university in engineering and technology and ranks second overall among national universities in the country, consistently adhering to open and internationalized education. He noted that the university has recently signed an institutional MOU with Tsinghua University, establishing a long-term mechanism for talent cultivation and joint research. Dr. Kedir pointed out that ECUST has significant advantages in disciplines such as chemical engineering, materials science, and business, which highly align with Mekelle University's focus on sustainable development, agricultural technology, and business management. He expressed hope that this visit would serve as a new starting point for building a stable, long-term partnership, injecting fresh momentum into China-Ethiopia educational exchanges and industrial cooperation.
During the talks, both parties focused their in-depth discussions on the Belt and Road International MBA program. They unanimously agreed to initiate faculty and student exchanges and the joint construction of research platforms as soon as possible. They also explored the possibility of establishing a China-Africa Youth Entrepreneurship Incubation Base in Africa, aiming to support the mutual growth and shared development of young people from China and Africa.
Caption: The delegation visits the School of Business.
The delegation subsequently toured the School of Business, the university's development achievements exhibition, and campus facilities, highly commending the School of Business's integration of industry, academia, and research as well as its accomplishments in internationalization. Depute Director Tang Jimin from the International Cooperation and Exchange Office, Peng Zeyu, Director of the International Exchange Office at the School of Business, and other relevant heads participated in these activities.
