Last December, the Sino-Africa Joint Research Center of Chinese Academy of Sciences held an eight-day training course on advanced agricultural technology in its headquarters in Kenya, attracting more than 40 participants from 10 African countries such as Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia.

It marked the first time that the center provided training for young scientists and technicians in Africa, with Chinese technical experts present to teach hybrid rice breeding technology, high-yield cultivation techniques and corn farming technology.

The research center, located in Nairobi, is the first overseas research and education institution of China, and has now developed into a major platform for technological cooperation and personnel training between China and Africa in such fields as biodiversity protection, ecological and environmental monitoring and modern agriculture.

To date, the center has financed 149 African technicians to study in China and has organized 17 training courses and seminars with the joint efforts of relevant institutions in Africa.

The average yield of hybrid rice certified by the research center is four to five times higher than that of the local varieties in Kenya, providing support for the future spread of hybrid rice in the eastern African country, said an African student who is now studying in China under the scholarship.

He added that the yield of selected species of corn and sorghum had also increased.

The Sino-Africa Joint Research Center has been making breakthroughs in guaranteeing food security, which is a top priority for national development among African countries.

A number of agricultural enterprises contributed to the planting of Chinese hybrid rice in African countries, and thanks to the center, Kenya has also introduced cash crops such as grapes. The center has also helped to promote the basic research of biodiversity conservation, disease control and prevention in Africa.