Continental African National Student Organisations In Wuhan:Emergence,Roles,and Dynamics

This thesis examines the' emergence,roles and dynamics of Nationally Organised continental African Student Associations in the city of Wuhan.Four student Associations from Ghana,Cameroon,Botswana,and Tanzania were studied.The student Associations/Unions covered in this study were formed by International African students who felt there was a need for students from their respective countries to have a common platform through which student issues(social,cultural,academic,financial,medical)could be discussed.Furthermore,the Associations/Unions were formed to coordinate student activities in different localities.Other interests pursued by some of the associations is the transformation in governance in their home countries.This is particularly so for the Cameroonian association.On the other hand,these unions also see themselves as catalysts in improving Sino-African ties through knowledge transfer processes and trade achieved through their education and lived experience in China.This kind of groupings can be seen as a form of mobilising to achieve a critical mass that can be utilised as a vehicle for group agency.The study established that the motivations for the individual members to affiliate with these associations is the utilitarian value offered to members through group support activities whereas the motivation to volunteer and serve others is the primary motivation for student leaders to join or participate in the activities of an African Students association/Union in Wuhan.A Social Network Analysis(SNA)of the Associations included in the study noted that they maintain strong links with their representative diplomatic missions and embassies in China,other student associations,and religious organisations.At the individual group level,NUGS-WUHAN is the student union with the strongest network whereas BOSAC-WUHAN has the weakest network of the four student unions studied.The other two;WUTASA and ACW have equal network strength.Five key dynamics emerged as affecting the functionality of the student associations studied.These include declining membership,operational challenges,inadequacies in resources,income and support networks for the unions,conflicts and leadership transition management issues.