Sululuta, January 24, 2025 (AFLEX) A high-level consultative meeting was held between Mr. Zadig Abreha, President of the African Leadership Excellence Academy (AFLEX), and His Excellency Ambassador Hu Changchun, Head of Mission of China to the African Union.
The meeting focused on discussing AFLEX’s Reform, Scaling-up, and Transformation Program as well as exploring future collaboration areas.
During the session, Mr. Zadig Abreha presented AFLEX’s ambitious vision and strategic plans. He highlighted that AFLEX seeks to serve as a bridge-builder, addressing critical gaps between civil society, academia, the private and public sectors and among African leaders across generations. He emphasized that AFLEX also aims to close the gap between Africa and the global community.
The President unveiled AFLEX’s strategy to implement 13 transformative projects over the next three years, documented in a comprehensive 2,500-page program. One of the flagship initiatives is the “Sululta like Davos” project, which envisions establishing Sululta as an international convention center, similar to the renowned Davos platform.
Additionally, Mr. Zadig outlined AFLEX’s flagship leadership development programs, which include four core leadership initiatives and 38 specialized programs. The approach, described as a combination of “soft shell” and “hard core” strategies, aims to cultivate a new generation of leaders equipped to tackle Africa’s challenges and seize its opportunities.
The President proposed three key collaboration areas with the Chinese Mission: Human Resource Development – Strengthening leadership capacity across sectors. Infrastructure Development – Expanding facilities to support AFLEX’s growth. Exchange Programs – Engaging Chinese professors in leadership development programs.
He concluded by expressing AFLEX’s eagerness to learn from China’s experiences in development and leadership.
Ambassador Hu Changchun commended AFLEX’s transformative vision and President Zadig’s presentation, highlighting Africa as a “land of hope” and a “fast track of development.” He affirmed that Africa is on the right path toward sustainable growth and prosperity.
The Ambassador described AFLEX as a benchmark for continental leadership academies and a symbol of solidarity and progress for Africa.
The Ambassador further emphasized that the China Mission to the African Union is eager to explore additional collaboration areas with AFLEX. He expressed agreement with all proposed areas of partnership, underscoring the potential for impactful joint efforts in leadership development, infrastructure, and knowledge exchange.
The meeting concluded with Ambassador Hu Changchun and his team visiting the AFLEX facilities, where they expressed their appreciation for the academy’s ongoing activities and aspirations.
Both parties reiterated their commitment to fostering stronger ties and meaningful collaboration moving forward.
