Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM), one of the oldest tertiary education institutions in Mozambique, will offer a degree course in Chinese starting from this year, Chinese state-run news agency Xinhua reported on Friday.

The Confucius Institute in the university will manage the four-year course, the report said. The institute is a non-profit education organisation – affiliated with China’s Ministry of Education – aimed at promoting Chinese language.

“We have been teaching Chinese locally, but only through short courses and about 2,000 students have benefited from that,” said Xing Xianhong, Executive Director of UEM’s Confucius Institute. “Collaborating with the university authorities, we have decided to do more and introduce a degree course in Chinese,” he added.

The degree course will start in February with 60 vacancies. Students will have chances to visit Chinese universities and work in Chinese companies in Mozambique, the director said.