Karotu is not the only one who aims to bring the Chinese wisdom and experience back to her country. Kamara Abdulai Merry, a doctoral student from Sierra Leone, shares similar goals.

Coming to China in 2022, Kamara got his master's degree from a university in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, and is now exploring further in aquaculture and rice and fish farming at Shanghai Ocean University.

"My country is situated in West Africa, and we are bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the west. We have abundant natural resources that support agriculture and aquaculture. Agriculture is the backbone of my country, and the majority of the people depend on it to generate income," he said, highlighting the importance of "sustainable and healthy production" approaches, such as the rice and fishing farming system.