Somali Youth Gain AI Skills in China-Somalia Biometrics Training Push

GOOBJOOG NEWS | BEIJING: A new high-level biometric engineering program jointly launched by Somali and Chinese universities is aiming to equip Somali youth with cutting-edge skills in artificial intelligence and digital identification technologies, in a move seen as a significant boost to Somalia’s technical education sector.

The four-day training, titled African Engineering Training on Biometrics, brings together students, lecturers, and engineers from Somali institutions to learn advanced techniques in facial and fingerprint recognition using Python programming and AI tools.

Organized by Shenzhen Polytechnic University and the Southern University of Science and Technology in China, in collaboration with Somalia’s Jamhuuriya University and Somali National University, the program is designed to strengthen technical capacity and promote educational cooperation between the two countries.

“This initiative is not just about technology, it’s about empowering the next generation of Somali engineers to be globally competitive,” said Dr. Hodan Osman Abdi, Somalia’s Ambassador to China, who officially inaugurated the program in Beijing.

She underscored that the training reflects the goals outlined in the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), and called on Somali youth to seize educational opportunities in high-tech sectors.

“This is how we bridge the gap and ensure Somalia has a place in the global innovation ecosystem,” she added.

The initiative is part of a broader trend of Sino-African cooperation in education and technology, with China increasingly positioning itself as a strategic partner in upskilling Africa’s future workforce.