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Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to Senegal will go a long way towards promoting cultural exchanges between China and Senegal, which have been intensifying for a decade, predicts Liu Chengfu, permanent vice president of The Society of African Studies of China, in a recent interview with Xinhua
Famous professor of French at Nanjing University (South-East China) and eminent scholar of African culture, Mr. Liu visited several African countries, including Senegal, and had deep exchanges with African colleagues
"I greatly appreciate Senegalese culture and civilization, and in recent years I have started to direct the writing of my pupils, while choosing some great Senegalese writers such as Mariama Bâ and Léopold Sédar Senghor ", he confides, adding that Mariama Bâ is one of the women writers he prefers. "She wrote only two novels – One long letter and one scarlet song – but what she wrote impressed me greatly, and I love not only her style but also her thoughts and thoughts about women's destiny.
"Of course, when we talk about Senegalese literature, we must never forget Leopold Sedar Senghor, the poet-president who sang so well the civilization of his homeland, whose poetry is based on incantatory singing. Built with the aim of creating a civilization of the universal, federating traditions beyond their differences, with Aimé Césaire he created the concept of 'negritude', while underlining the glorious tradition of the sub-Saharans. the image of black women is always positive and they have even become black diamonds, just as under the pen of the Baudelaire symbolist, "he analyzes.
Regarding Sino-Senegalese cultural exchanges, Mr. Liu notes that there has been more and more between students and professors, more seminars and conferences between the two countries. "We must admit that the Chinese do not know the Senegalese literature, but it starts, for example, A long letter, novel by Mariama Bâ, has already been translated into Chinese by my student Wang Ling", he noted , stressing that "over time, I am sure that the cultural exchanges between China and Senegal, in different forms, such as reciprocal inter-university visits, scientific cooperation, literary translations, sending students, are going to develop in depth with President Xi Jinping's visit to Senegal. "
It should be noted that the Confucius Institute of the University of Dakar, founded in December 2012, has already played a leading role in terms of exchanges. Senegalese young people to know China and learn about its culture, and serves as a platform for exchange, especially in the humanities and social sciences, which will further nourish the cultural and sentimental fusion between Two peoples
Although there are not many literary exchanges today between China and Senegal, the prospects will certainly be positive in the future, Liu Chengfu assures, "because the great thinkers deserve our reflection" (19659002 ] and our in-depth studies, especially to find out about the past and present of their great country and plan for its future. "
Of course, if there is a better exchange mechanism for teachers or students, more chances of obtaining scholarships to participate in academic activities and more and more translated works, the literary exchanges between China and Senegal will be more satisfactory. "With our efforts, I hope that one day the Chinese will know more Senegalese writers and the Senegalese more Chinese writers," he says.
During his stay in Dakar in 2015, Liu Chengfu is very impressed by the attitude and position of Senegalese researchers towards China. They greatly appreciated the help and investments it has made to their country, cherishing the bilateral friendship.
In China, the French departments of some universities begin to teach courses on history and civilization Francophone sub-Saharan countries. "It is often said that the twenty-first century is the century of the Chinese, it is also that of Africans," insists Mr. Liu. With the "fever" of Africa, dozens of African research centers have been created in China, including Beijing University and Nanjing University. They will play a role of bridge to ensure cultural exchanges between China and African countries, especially Francophone.
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