The Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries is preparing to hold its first job fair for African students studying at universities in Beijing.

The fair, set for November, will serve as a matchmaker for Chinese companies seeking to employ Africans who understand the cultural and business aspects of the relationship between China and Africa, and for prospective graduates seeking employment, says Sun Xueqing, the association's director-general for Asia-Africa affairs.

"We will cooperate with the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing to hold this job fair for African students," says Sun. "If it is successful, we will hold it annually across the country."

There are more than 2,000 African students at the university, according to the CPAFFC, but students from other universities are also expected to participate in the event.

There is no fixed number of jobs available at the fair, but the event will enhance the sharing of information between companies and students, Sun says. It will be a boost for people-to-people cooperation for investors and host countries alike.

"This job fair is more like matchmaking. Chinese companies are looking for Africans who know the culture and people, while young Africans are looking for job opportunities," he says.

With the world's fastest-growing population, Africa has a high youth unemployment rate.

African students in Beijing have hailed the forthcoming event as a window of opportunity, a means of addressing Africa's youth unemployment challenge.

"This job fair will further strengthen China-Africa's win-win approach and give more credibility to African students who are being trained by the Chinese themselves," says Sekou Soko Kamara, 34, a Liberian student at Renmin University of China in Beijing.

Kamara, who is also the coordinator of the Liberian Students' Union in Beijing, is in his final year as a graduate student of economics.

"This will be a platform for African students to have confidence that they can make a breakthrough in the international job market, and at the end it will help reduce unemployment for African youth and help stabilize our economy," he says.

Filmore Wiagbe, 33, a Liberian studying at the University of Science and Technology Beijing, says, "As an African, I think this is a good platform for us to market our potential."

Wiagbe, a graduate student of telecommunication and information technology who also is in his final year, says the fair will be "a window opening" for him and many other African students concerned about employment after graduation.

"This will definitely help us market our potential on the international stage and give us value for what we have learned," he says.

Ahmed Abdul Basit Sofo, 33, a Ghanaian studying the Chinese economy at Renmin University, says: "It will connect students with companies and make them appreciate the value of Chinese firms investing in Africa, and will surely help solve unemployment problems in Africa," Sofo says.

Shebora Onikeh Kamara, 34, from Sierra Leone, is also a student at Renmin University. He described the planned job fair as "an excellent idea to reduce unemployment for young Africans".

Meanwhile, CPAFFC official Sun says the association will do "follow-ups to get to know more about how the relationship between the firms and African students progresses in the long term".

The jobs might be long-or short-term, available in Africa or China, and will help Chinese companies looking to extend their investments in Africa hire employees who are knowledgeable about China-Africa culture and related issues, Sun says.

China, which leads the Belt and Road Initiative for international cooperation, is making numerous strides in alleviating Africa's challenges.

Sun told African journalists at his Beijing office that his association's friendship with the continent can create opportunities for its young people.

Early this year, CPAFFC organized a China-Africa matchmaking conference on agriculture to strengthen cooperation between African countries and Chinese provinces, and will continue to organize more in the future, Sun said.

For China Daily

(China Daily Africa Weekly 10/20/2017 page29)