"I wish South-South would take more students instead of making it very limited, because we have more people who require this education, and it might change the country."

Another student, Doroteia Alberto Chipande from Mozambique, says the education modules at South-South are pragmatic.

"South-South wants students not just to learn things in class, they want us to see what happened and how it happened for us to have the feeling," Chipande says.

She cites a field trip to Shenzhen in the country's south, as an example.

"We all know about Shenzhen, and we heard about Shenzhen, but being in the place and talking with people and to feel the atmosphere of the city is totally different. Eventually, we got different ideas about its development and innovation."

Chipande says the experience at the institute made her not only know China better, but also other countries in Africa.

"Being in China, and having more than 20 classmates from different countries, that was one of the biggest lessons," she says. "I realized I didn't know enough about my own country."

Chipande says she wants to see more women joining the institute for such courses. There were just 10 females in her class.