Alumnus from Sierra Leone shares learning journey at Peking University

Editor's note: "The journey to the South" is one filled with hope and mission. It encompasses the vast Global South - a land brimming with vitality and challenges, where the most urgent needs and the most ambitious vision for human development converge. Peking University's Institute of South-South Cooperation and Development (ISSCAD) is committed to sharing the governance experiences of China and other developing countries, and cultivating high-level talents on government administration for developing countries. Its alumni go back to their countries and international organizations, and devote themselves to their careers with what they have learned in China, a broadened horizon and profound friendship.

Jamil Mamoud from Sierra Leone is a postgraduate in public administration (national development) from the ISSCAD. He graduated from Njala University in Sierra Leone in 2017 with an honorary bachelor's degree in economics and finance, and joined the Ministry of Finance of Sierra Leone in 2020. In 2022, he began to pursue a master's degree in finance and management part-time at the University of Makeni and came to study at the ISSCAD in 2024. After graduating from the ISSCAD, he will return to Sierra Leone to continue his work in social security and agricultural development.

Jamil's encounter with the ISSCAD is a winding but beautiful story. He had concerns about traveling all the way to China to study, adapting to the Chinese environment, possibly facing job changes after returning to Sierra Leone, and being unable to take care of his family and young daughter. His superior encouraged him to seize this opportunity and promised to resolve his worries, which affirmed his determination to come to China and study at Peking University.

During the application process, an online interview was scheduled for 5 am local time. Due to the power shortage in Sierra Leone, his house had no electricity and he had to travel to the office through the night to make the interview on time. He'd overcome challenges willingly because "It is Peking University and I must go!"

After he got off the plane, he received great hospitality from the ISSCAD staff, making him feel at home right away. Later on, he found that the security environment and the convenience of life in China were amazing. The dormitory he stayed in was fully equipped with all kinds of facilities, allowing him to focus on his studies without distraction.

Jamil talks to Professor Justin Yifu Lin, honorary dean of the Institute of South-South Cooperation and Development.[Photo provided by the National School of Development at Peking University]

Talking about the time at the ISSCAD, Jamil smiled happily. Every course was impressive and unforgettable. He felt pressure at the same time: all the courses were packed with massive amount of contents and had high requirements for students, and the heavy assignments and group presentation tasks left them overwhelmed. But his efforts eventually paid off. These courses not only shaped his way of thinking about policies and development matters, but also brought him the joy of self-achievement. Previously, he was too shy to express himself in public, but after being tempered by countless group presentations in class, he can now give public speeches with great confidence and express his views.

Life at the ISSCAD was a journey of common growth with both his mentors and his peers. In his eyes, his supervisor, Assistant Professor Huang Qingyang, is a perfectionist with a holistic perspective, who always offered suggestions from a global perspective while paying attention to every detail. His classmates were from 16 different countries. With diverse cultural backgrounds, they had different points of views and often got in intense debates in class, but could also seek common ground and cooperate sincerely while shelving differences. During his limited leisure time, he would sometimes go to play soccer on the campus so that he could go back to studies fully recharged.

Jamil attends a martial arts training camp for international students at Peking University.[Photo provided by the National School of Development at Peking University]

Jamil's master's thesis focused on the agricultural development situation in Sierra Leone, more specifically an evaluation of a policy to popularize agricultural infrastructure and increase rice production in his country. At present, 90 percent of the country's rice is imported. Not only does it have to bear high import taxes, but it also faces the risk of inflation caused by fluctuations in grain prices. One of his major tasks at the Ministry of Finance of Sierra Leone is to promote the implementation of this policy. Therefore, writing the thesis is a process of applying what he has learned to his work.

Jamil believed that the main problems Sierra Leone is facing are power shortages and an underdeveloped domestic product market, with almost all products being deeply dependent on imports. This is not only a pain point for Sierra Leone alone, but also a common challenge faced by all African countries. What he learned from China tells him that if the government wants to develop the economy, it must invest in infrastructure, create a favorable business environment, and follow the development path that best suits its comparative advantages.

In his view, Sierra Leone is rich in mineral, fishery and agricultural resources. With proper policies, the country has the potential to grow the economy and gradually improve its current situation. However, Rome was not built in a day. Social progress is achieved with long-term investment and by building consensus. Therefore during his time in China, he has been in close contact with his superiors at home, frequently exchanging his feelings and thoughts during his studies, and hoping to absorb China's successful experiences and provide guidance for the development of his own country.

If he were to use one word to summarize his learning experience in the past year, it would definitely be "gratitude", said Jamil. He wanted to thank the Chinese people for their warmth and friendliness, to thank Peking University for its rich and inclusive campus culture, to thank all the faculty and staff of the ISSCAD for their dedicated and passionate working style, and all the teachers for their commitment and teaching without distinction. He learned from all the lovely and respectable people that the key to China's economic miracle lies in the people, and the accumulation of human capital is the cornerstone of a country's development and progress. Everyone here works hard day after day. This collective spirit of striving is a catalyst for China's rise, and such a scene also inspires his aspiration to contribute to the progress of his motherland.

Looking ahead, Jamil has high hopes. He hopes to have the opportunity to return to the ISSCAD to pursue a doctoral degree. It was at the ISSCAD that he realized the significance of education - social progress requires the unremitting efforts of generation after generation, so educating the next generation is of vital importance. Therefore, he plans to teach voluntarily in middle schools and universities in Sierra Leone in his spare time, passing on his knowledge and insights to the next generation and building a consensus on development.