Building Bridges for China–Africa Cooperation and Empowering Sustainable Development for People’s Well-being — The International Charity and Public Welfare Working Committee of the Platform Visits Maasai Mara University to Deepen Pragmatic Exchanges

Recently, at the invitation of Professor James S. Nampushi, Vice Chancellor of Maasai Mara University in Kenya, Tang Lin, Director of the International Charity and Public Welfare Committee of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s Multifunctional Economic and Trade Platform (hereinafter referred to as the “SCO Economic and Trade Platform”), together with Executive Deputy Director Yuan Lin, paid a special visit to the university for exchanges and discussions. This initiative represents an innovative effort by the SCO Economic and Trade Platform to leverage its multilateral resource advantages, deepen China–Africa cooperation in local economic and trade relations, cultural and public‑welfare exchanges, and coordinated development in ecological and livelihood areas, thereby further expanding new avenues for pragmatic civil‑society cooperation between China and Africa.

Masinde Muliro University is a leading public institution in Narok County, Kenya. Leveraging the region’s world-class ecological resources, it focuses on research in areas such as biodiversity conservation and agricultural‑livestock development, thereby contributing to local economic and social progress. During the symposium, Professor James S. Nampushi highly commended the “China–Africa Biodiversity Conservation Exchange and Training Program, along with the ‘City of Eagles’ Global Thematic Exhibition,” jointly organized by the International Charity and Public Welfare Working Committee of the SCO Economic and Trade Platform, together with relevant Chongqing municipal government agencies and charitable foundations. He noted that this cross‑border exchange has brought valuable Chinese expertise to Kenya’s ecological governance, representing an innovative step forward in China–Africa cooperation on environmental issues.

Drawing on the current state of development in Narok County, the university highlighted that the region boasts both rich biodiversity and strong agro‑pastoral industries, yet it has long grappled with challenges such as soil desertification, inefficient production practices, and acute ecological conflicts. The institution closely follows China’s cutting-edge approaches—ranging from photovoltaic‑driven sand control and smart agriculture and animal husbandry to industry‑education integration and green science and technology innovation—and hopes to leverage the International Charity and Public Welfare Working Committee of the SCO Economic and Trade Platform as a bridge to bring in Chinese technologies, industrial expertise, and academic insights, thereby supporting Kenya and other African regions in achieving synergistic progress across economic development and environmental sustainability.

Yuan Lin stated that, as an important platform for the SCO’s economic and trade framework to advance people-to-people exchanges and pragmatic local cooperation between China and Africa, the International Committee on Philanthropy and Public Welfare will steadfastly uphold the “Shanghai Spirit” and build a bridge for friendly cooperation between China and Africa. To ensure the sustained implementation of cooperative projects, the Committee will establish an office in Nairobi, Kenya, leveraging the platform’s extensive multilateral resources to precisely align with local development needs, coordinate and match high-quality solutions, and promote the localization of China’s proven development models and related industries.

Following the meeting, the delegation conducted an on-site assessment of the leather-processing industry in Narok County. The field visit revealed that while the region boasts abundant livestock resources, its downstream processing value chain remains underdeveloped, resulting in low industrial value added and limited income growth for pastoralists. An extensive, unregulated development model has led to overgrazing, triggering severe human–wildlife conflicts, accelerating land degradation and desertification, and creating a vicious cycle between economic development and ecological sustainability.

Tang Lin stated that China’s experience has amply demonstrated that industrial upgrading and ecological conservation are mutually reinforcing. Only by elevating the quality and sophistication of traditional industries and moving away from a resource‑intensive, low‑efficiency development model can we effectively alleviate ecological pressures, invigorate livelihood‑oriented sectors, and achieve a win‑win outcome that safeguards the environment, boosts industrial productivity, and increases incomes for local communities. To this end, the International Committee on Philanthropy and Public Welfare will continue to provide sustained support for Kenya’s green economic and social development.

This visit has effectively strengthened the foundations of cooperation between the SCO Economic and Trade Platform and Kenyan universities and local industries. Moving forward, the Platform will continue to leverage the International Committee on Philanthropy and Public Welfare’s strengths in grassroots philanthropy and cultural exchange, further deepening collaboration across multiple sectors—including ecological governance, modern agriculture, academic exchanges, and people-to-people economic and trade ties—thus contributing through concrete actions to the building of a China–Africa community with a shared future.

(Contributed by the Platform’s International Charity and Public Welfare Working Committee)