Benson Idahosa University February 2018 - Benson Idahosa University

Archives for the Month: February 2018

Members of Young Diplomats Club from the Department of International Studies and Diplomacy, Benson Idahosa University, recently paid a courtesy visit to the Chinese and Australian  embassies in Abuja.

Speaking on behalf of the young diplomats, the co-founder of the club, Mr. Idahosa Ojo, expressed excitement at the opportunity given to them by the Chinese Embassy.

He said: “The young diplomats club was established to help promote the image of the school, and also to teach the students out of the classroom experience; to expose the students to things that have being taught in their classrooms thereby giving them a first-hand experience. So we are indeed grateful for this ample opportunity that you have given to us.”

“The club actually started in 2015, since then we have visited six embassies in Africa. The visit to Abuja is in line with the objectives that helped to establish the club,” he added.

According to him, the students wanted to understand how diplomacy worked in the real world that was why they had made the trip from Benin-city to Abuja.

In response to that question, the Ambassador of China to Nigeria, Dr. Zhou Pingjian noted that diplomacy is about bridging the gap between two contrasting social and political cultures.

“I have two books on my desk and they will be there till I depart this country. “One is the report from the Communist Party of China’s National Congress and the second one is Nigeria’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan.

“All the basic policies and philosophies of China’s domestic and foreign policies are included in the former. So every day, I read through the book to remind me of China’s policy and think about how to communicate its message. If you get the main idea of that report, you will be hundred per cent a China expert.

“The key to understanding China is to understand the ruling party. But as a diplomat, the shortcut is to read the party’s political report, because without the leadership of the political party, we cannot achieve what we have achieved. The strength of China is as a result of this leadership. It is the leading force in every field.

He further commended Benson Idahosa University (BIU) for including field trips in its curriculum as it would give the young diplomats the exposure that would help improve their knowledge of diplomacy and policymaking.

About 95 per cent of the Benson Idahosa University students who met with the Chinese Ambassador are from the Department of International Studies and Diplomacy while the rest are in Law, Political Science and Sociology.