China’s assistance to higher education and training in Ethiopia

Through an examination of two case studies – Ethiopian students and trainees in China and the Chinese-funded Ethiopian Technical and Vocational Training Institute – this chapter provides insights into the evolution of Chinese education aid policies and their impact on the African continent. The chapter reveals a shift in China’s approach from providing Africans with opportunities to study in China towards supporting higher education and training within Africa. The chapter underscores the significance of the Chinese provision of both scholarships for postgraduate studies and short-term stays to Ethiopians, despite its relatively minor role as a donor in Ethiopian higher education. The findings, based on data from primary interviews in Ethiopia and a variety of secondary sources, also highlight the growing Ethiopian agency in educational development projects, illustrated by the evolvement from the original Chinese-run Ethio-China Polytechnic College to the Ethiopian-run Technical and Vocational Training Institute.