KAMPALA, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- About 4,400 Ugandan experts, policy makers and public servants have attended short-term capacity building courses in China, said officials on Monday.
Speaking here at a reception of course trainees, Lei Hao, vice director of Academy of International Business Officials at China's Ministry of Commerce, said that more than 600 Ugandans last year attended courses in various disciplines like governance, public policy, education, economics, agriculture, health and social security.
Over 400 have attended the courses this year, according to figures by the Chinese Embassy in Uganda.
Helping build human resource capacity of African countries is one of the eight major initiatives that China pledged to implement at the 2018 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, said Zhao Xiufen, economic and commercial counselor at the Chinese embassy here.
At the summit, China pledged to train 1,000 high-caliber Africans, provide Africa with 50,000 government scholarships, sponsor seminar and workshop opportunities for 50,000 Africans, and invite 2,000 African youths to visit China for exchanges.
China also pledged to set up 10 Luban Workshops in Africa to offer vocational training for young Africans.
Training is critical to helping Uganda fast-track its development, said Abubakar Muhammad Moki, commissioner of policy development and capacity building at the president' office in Uganda.
Moki, who also attended the short-term courses, said it is important for participants to always implement what they have learned.
"As we cooperate with China, we need to borrow the practices and customize them to our situation," he said.
