Chinese taikonauts talk with Tanzanian students from space

DAR ES SALAAM, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Three Chinese taikonauts on Tuesday talked with Tanzanian students from space via video link to an event organized by the Chinese embassy in the commercial capital of Dar es Salaam.

Three Chinese Shenzhou astronauts who were in space had the question and answer television live show in which they answered written questions by students from Benjamin William Mkapa Secondary School and Zanaki Secondary School in Dar es Salaam.

In the main video of "Tiangong Question and Answer," the Tanzanian students were full of curiosity about the life and work of Chinese astronauts in space and asked all kinds of interesting questions.

The Chinese astronauts, in the event dubbed "Connecting Heaven and Earth," also shared their experiences with the students from Tanzania and other African countries who have the dream of becoming astronauts.

"One is to exercise a strong body, the other is to learn all kinds of knowledge so that they can control the spacecraft and the space station," said the astronauts.

James Mdoe, the deputy permanent secretary in the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, said the government of Tanzania was reforming its school curriculum to emphasize the teaching of science.

"The emphasis on teaching science will enable young Tanzanians to become future astronauts as well as coping with the Fourth Industrial Revolution," said Mdoe.

He believed the Tanzanian students sharing of experiences with the Chinese astronauts will encourage them to embrace science and technology.

Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania Chen Mingjian said space exploration has created opportunities for all human beings to work together and inspired the world.

Chen said China and Tanzania have extensive potential for cooperation in future space exploration, and will certainly encourage more young generations to continue exploring the future destiny of humanity. She encouraged Tanzanian students to do their part to contribute to their space dream, love science and build up confidence and contribute to the country's self-reliance in innovation.

Vedastus Anthony, a teacher of Chinese language, English, and History at the Benjamin William Mkapa Secondary School, said the event has expanded his knowledge of space and life on the space station.

"It has also given me a lot of encouragement and inspiration, which has made me realize that people from all over the world are working together," said Anthony, while expressing his admiration for the development and progress of China's space science and technology and the advanced equipment of the space station.

Esther Michael, a Form Six student from the Benjamin Mkapa Secondary School who speaks Chinese, said that "it is amazing the astronauts are in space, and we are on Earth, and then we are able to communicate." ■