Madagascar’s Prime Minister Mamitiana Rajaonarison recently visited Hunan University in China to inaugurate the Research Center for Madagascar, part of the university’s Institute of African Studies. The center aims to serve as an academic hub that integrates research, industrial development, and cultural exchange to strengthen the China-Madagascar strategic partnership and promote economic cooperation between Hunan province and Madagascar.
The Madagascar center builds on prior initiatives and has already produced interdisciplinary outputs, including a knowledge chatbot focused on Madagascar, a documentary on hybrid rice collaboration, and an artificial intelligence-generated short drama in the Malagasy language. Its research efforts also extend to tropical agriculture and specialized semiconductor technologies. The center plans to deepen ties with Malagasy institutions such as the University of Antananarivo to facilitate ongoing academic collaboration.
In parallel, Hunan University launched a Ghana Research Center in April 2025, spearheaded by Samia Yaba Nkrumah, founder and president of the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Pan-African Centre. This center is designed as a comprehensive platform incorporating academic research, think-tank functions, database creation, talent development, and international cooperation. Its research will focus on Pan-African thought, governance and economic transformation in Ghana, West African regional cooperation, as well as China-Ghana economic and cultural exchanges.
These centers are part of Hunan University’s broader engagement with Africa, leveraging its Institute of African Studies, China-Africa Economic and Trade Research Institute, and China-Africa Culture Exchange Center. The university has steadily expanded partnerships across research, talent training, university collaboration, and industrial development. It also hosts the China-Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation Yeul Forum, which gathers African diplomats, scholars, and entrepreneurs to explore trade opportunities.
On September 22, 2026, Hunan University held the China-Africa University Presidents Forum focusing on education development under the theme “Co-creating a Smart Future: China-Africa Higher Education Cooperation and Innovative Development.” Representatives from 15 universities across 13 African countries, including the University of Dar es Salaam and the University of Nairobi, participated alongside delegates from over 10 Chinese universities. The forum facilitated new initiatives and inter-university agreements aimed at advancing systematic and sustainable cooperation in digital education, joint research, youth exchanges, and industry-education integration.
In the summer of 2025, Hunan University dispatched faculty and students to Kenya and South Africa for research and exchange activities. These delegations engaged with Chinese institutions in Africa, local and international organizations, and Chinese-funded enterprises, providing youth perspectives on deepening China-Africa relations.
Outside of Africa-related initiatives, Hunan University has broadened its global academic network, particularly through its School of Architecture and Planning. The school has increased overseas student exchanges and participated in international events such as the World Design Cities Conference and architectural competitions. In July 2025, it conducted a 10-day workshop in Japan involving visits to the University of Tokyo, Waseda University, and major architectural sites, fostering cross-cultural understanding between Chinese and Japanese architectural traditions.
In August 2025, the school organized the Chinese Government Scholarship International Summer School Program, focused on urban-rural design and architectural heritage conservation. The program attracted 38 participants from seven countries and featured lectures on topics including historic district regeneration and digital technology applications in architecture. Bernd Nentwig, a professor at Bauhaus University Weimar in Germany, noted the program’s role in presenting innovative Chinese approaches to heritage conservation and sustainable development to an international audience.
Collectively, these initiatives demonstrate Hunan University’s commitment to expanding its international cooperation, fostering talent development, and enhancing interdisciplinary research through sustained global engagement.