BEIJING – Kenya and China have discussed the signing of an MoU on cooperation between the foreign affairs academies of the two countries and the development of various exchanges and partnership.
This emerged following a meeting between Ambassador Edwin Afande, Chargé d’Affaires ad interim of the Kenyan Embassy in Beijing, and Sun Jisheng, the vice president of China Foreign Affairs University, Secretary General of China National Association for International Studies and deputy editor in Chief of Foreign Affairs Review. Prof Sun was accompanied to the meeting by Ma Xinyu, Director of the Foreign Affairs Office, and Wang Yumeng, the Deputy Director.
In a statement released by CFAU Foreign Affairs Office, Ambassador Afande said Kenya attaches great importance to China-Kenya relations, and hopes to strengthen the cooperation between the foreign affairs institutes of the two countries and carry out mutual visits, exchanges and training for teachers and students.
China Foreign Affairs University is directly affiliated with China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and mainly trains international relations and diplomacy. On the other hand, Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Ministry has the Foreign Service Academy, which largely trains diplomats.
On June 16, Kenya’s Foreign Affairs concluded the Workshop on Operationalization and relaunch of the Foreign Service Academy at the International Peace Support Training Centre in Karen, Nairobi.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the relaunch was a culmination of the Ministry’s commitment to ensuring the Academy is successfully transitioned into a State Corporation, in order to equip the country’s diplomatic service with the tools necessary to navigate the intricate web of global politics, economics, and security.
“The Foreign Service Academy will serve as the fulcrum of this transformation, empowering foreign service officers to become astute diplomats, capable of representing Kenya’s interests with finesse and resilience,” the ministry said in a statement.
It added that the re-launch symbolized the Ministry of Foreign Affair’s collective commitment to excellence, innovation, and continuous learning aimed at solidifying the country’s position as a global leader.
Principal Secretary Korir Singóei said that in the future, the Foreign Service Academy course will be a requirement for promotion.
This story was updated on June 19
