Other universities, including Cairo University, also opened their own respective Chinese departments. Opened in 2004, Cairo University’s Chinese department now has 60 students in each study year. (Photo : REUTERS)
Growing trade between China and Egypt has brought about a number of effects, including a rising interest among Egyptians when it comes to the Chinese language, according to China Daily.
Omayma Ghanem, a Chinese language professor at Ain Shams University, recounted the state of Chinese language in Egypt back in 1983, when there were only 11 Chinese majors in her class. The situation is quite different today as there are over 2,000 students majoring in Chinese language in Egypt.
Other universities, including Cairo University, also opened their own respective Chinese departments. Opened in 2004, Cairo University's Chinese department now has 60 students in each study year.
Cairo University also launched a Confucius Institute in 2007, with student numbers rising from 30 to 1,200, according to Rehab Mahmoud, dean of the Confucius Institute and director of Cairo University's Department of Chinese Language and Literature.
Universities that have also opened Chinese departments include Al-Azhar University, Pharos University, Misr University for Science and Technology, Fayoum University and Suez Canal University.
Schools in Egypt, however, can't keep up with the demand as the country is experiencing a shortage of Chinese language teachers.
"There are far from enough Chinese teachers," said Ghanem in an interview with China Daily. "Though the Chinese government has sent some Chinese volunteers to assist in teaching, many more are needed. Many of the Egyptian Chinese teachers are very recent graduates and lack experience."
Due to the shortage, professors like Ghanem have also taken up posts in other universities. She is also a director of two Chinese departments in Fayoum University.
"China is an increasingly common topic in Egyptian and other Middle Eastern countries' media as trade between China and Egypt continues to increase," shared Liu Xing, a Chinese professor at North China Institute of Science and Technology. "This has strongly aroused Egyptians' interest in and desire to learn Chinese." Liu also works at Cairo University's Chinese department.
Ever since China and Egypt increased trade relations in 2014, China has become Egypt's biggest trade partner.
