Lessons from Confucius Ideas: Chinese Universities’ African Students Reflections

In most normal universities in China, Confucian lessons are included in the international students study programs. This is because Confucianism is the most prevalent deep rooted historical philosophy in China. It is based on the teachings of Confucius (551 -479 B.C.), a virtuous man who never wanted to be associated with insincerity, immorality and corruption. Though he failed to implement his ideas when he was alive, he lived forever and became "a king without a crown" when his principles were accepted and implemented by Chinese authorities many hundred years later, which has partly contributed to the current socio-economic landscape of China. In contrast, Africa continues to face a lot of challenges chiefly caused by moral degradation and poverty. Do Confucian lessons have an impact on the African students who study them? This paper qualitatively analyzed the views of ten former African students in China regarding Confucius and his philosophies and their reflections on how Africans can benefit from the ideas and philosophies of this Great Sage. The key finding was that the majority of respondents acknowledged that they indeed took home a lot of lessons from their studies regarding Confucius and his philosophies. It was also noted that Confucius studies made the majority of these foreign students to understand the values of selflessness and virtuous life in leadership as well as the importance of expanding access of education for the benefit of all people. Africa can surely develop if leaders tap lessons from these kinds of philosophies.