Online Reporter
Vusumuzi Dube in BEIJING, China
A DELEGATION of senior Government officials is in China for a 12-day ministerial seminar focusing on public administration, economic development and governance as the two countries seek to deepen cooperation and knowledge exchange.
The Ministerial Seminar for Senior Public Management Officials of Zimbabwe, organised by the Academy for International Business Officials (AIBO), an institution under China’s Ministry of Commerce, runs until September 12.
The seminar targets officials from relevant Zimbabwean Government departments at the ministerial level.
The Zimbabwean delegation is being led by the Deputy Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Mercy Dinha, and includes Commissioner Rosemary Rubvumo Mukogo from the Public Service Commission of Zimbabwe, Ms Nditwani Muleya – the Permanent Secretary for Monitoring and Evaluation in the Office of the President and Cabinet, among other senior Government officials.
According to the project profile, the programme seeks to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in public administration while exposing Zimbabwean officials to China’s experience in governance and economic development.
“The seminar aims to establish a platform for exchange in public administration between China and Zimbabwe, share China’s experience in economic development and governance, and support Zimbabwe in exploring a development path suited to its national conditions,” reads the project profile.
The organisers have said the programme was ultimately intended to contribute to Zimbabwe’s national development and public administration. Participants will be taken through a range of topics covering China’s development trajectory and governance system.
The project profile indicates the programme would focus on China’s national conditions and Chinese modernisation, Chinese leaders’ governance philosophy, economic and social development under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, and the evolution of the country’s five-year national development plans.
The implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the “Ten Partnership Actions” of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation will also form part of the discussions.
Rather than relying solely on classroom presentations, the organisers have designed the seminar to combine lectures with interaction and practical learning.
Experts from various fields will deliver special lectures on different themes, followed by discussions between the experts and trainees and among the participants themselves.
It also provides for field visits to relevant organisations and enterprises in Beijing and other Chinese cities.
The visits are expected to allow the Zimbabwean officials to gain practical insight into the implementation of policies and development programmes.
The seminar is being hosted by AIBO, which the project profile describes as an educational and training institution directly under China’s Ministry of Commerce.
Established in 1980, AIBO is located in Changping District, Beijing, approximately 30 kilometres from Beijing Capital International Airport.
The academy has facilities providing accommodation, catering, training and meeting services for participants.
According to the profile, one of AIBO’s principal responsibilities is implementing human resources development and cooperation programmes, particularly training courses for officials from developing countries.
It serves as a major base for China’s foreign aid training programmes, offering both face-to-face and online training in China and abroad.
The institution also works with Chinese think tanks, research institutes and universities to draw on the expertise of scholars and specialists in delivering its training programmes.
Since 1998, AIBO has conducted more than 2 500 training sessions for officials from developing countries, including 147 ministerial seminars.
The programmes have benefitted more than 84 000 participants from developing countries around the world.
The Zimbabwe seminar is part of China’s wider foreign aid training programme, which covers areas including trade and investment, international economic cooperation, governance and public management.
Zimbabwe and China have recently expanded practical cooperation by jointly promoting the BRI and implementing the nine programmes of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.
