Kenya is poised to ease the shortage of Chinese language teachers as the country considers including Chinese in the national curriculum, following the rollout of the "two plus two" joint degree program.

The program, established under a 2023 agreement between the University of Nairobi or UoN and China's Tianjin Normal University in 2023, allows UoN students majoring in Chinese language to complete their third and fourth years at the Chinese institution, earning a joint degree. The scholarships are sponsored by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation of China.

Students enrolled in the program will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Education (Chinese), the first of its kind in Kenya.

The first cohort of 20 students departed Kenya on Friday, optimistic that they will return fully equipped to serve as Chinese language teachers.

Wang Shangxue, the Chinese director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi, expressed joy as the students were flagged off to China, describing the program as a milestone in advancing China-Kenya people-to-people exchanges.

She added that in addition to the 20 students in the joint degree program, another 28 will also travel to China for various exchange programs.

Jackson Maalu, the acting deputy vice-chancellor at the University of Nairobi, said the agreement between the two universities had elevated Chinese language education in Kenya to a strategic level, compelling stakeholders in the higher education sector to begin reflecting on how to roll out and integrate the subject into basic education.

"Successfully designing the customized language teachers training program at the university level is of prime importance and, indeed, a big step forward," he said.

Maalu described the program as a landmark achievement in the university's internationalization efforts, made possible through the Confucius Institute.

"Through our straategic partnership with the Chinese government and collaboration with Tianjin Normal University, we are today flagging off 48 students to China on scholarships," he said.

"This is the highest number of international scholarships by a single partner ever recorded in the history of our university."

Zhang Zhizhong, chargé d'affaires at the Chinese embassy in Kenya, said that once the students return as professional teachers, they will help local children eager to learn Chinese realize their dreams.

Lilian Mwangi, senior deputy director of staffing at the Teachers Service Commission, said the commission currently has no registered Chinese language teachers.

"We are looking forward to registering the 20 teachers once they return from their studies," she said, challenging the students to learn from Chinese culture and integrate it with the Kenyan values.

Leah Muthoni, one of the beneficiaries of the two-plus-two program, expressed her delight at receiving what she called a golden opportunity to study in China.

"The two-plus-two program is no longer just an idea spoken of in classrooms - it's a dream realized," she said.

"The program has transformed us from campus students into future teachers equipped to play a role in shaping education and strengthening cultural ties."

Muthoni added that what began as curiosity when she joined the Confucius Institute to learn Chinese has now become a defining part of her journey.

"Today, I can hold a discussion with a Chinese speaker, proving that language is a bridge that brings people together," she said.

Wang noted that by the end of the year, 245 students and educators from the Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi are expected to travel to China on international exchange programs up from 123 in 2024 and 96 in 2023.