Our case analysis is based on business communication. With over 2,000 languages, Africa is a linguistic treasure. Hausa, the continent's third most spoken language, widely used in West Africa with rich cultural heritage, is facing the threat of being silenced in the AI era, which is dominated by high-resource languages.

At this moment, Professor Wang, a Chinese expert in intercultural communication studies, Ms. Chu, a Chinese AI engineer, and Amina, an international student from Nigeria and native Hausa speaker, are collaborating to build a Hausa language AI interactive system to preserve African language and cultural diversity. Sanu, Professor Wang, Miss Zhu.

Good morning. Hey, Amina. They are the gifts for you too from my hometown. Thank you. It's very unique. You're welcome. Professor Wang, Miss Zhu, in Hausa culture, drums convey messages. In front of Emir's Palace in Ghana, the birthplace of Hausa culture stands a talking drum called 杆杆. In major events, the drummer uses this to address the entire city.

Outsiders hear rhythm, how the people hear meaning. That's similar to a Chinese saying, 一切尽在不言中。 Some meanings go beyond words. Well, Professor Wang, Amina, shall we start a meeting? Yes. Go ahead. Okay, let's start from the project schedule. We must complete the language data collection in Kano by the 15th next month.

The timeline is tight, and strict adherence is essential. Ms. Zhu, the schedule is clear, but I'm feeling a bit pressed for time. I don't think we can make it by the schedule. Why? Because collecting language data, especially with elders, takes time and flexibility. Well, we can collect data from the young people.

It's true. For this project, the language data from the elders is vital. They are wise and like living libraries of Hausa culture. What is important to our AI system is not just the voices, but the stories as well. Moreover, as they are often the community leaders, their approval is essential to our cooperation with Hausa communities.

Well, it makes sense. Yes, this is true. As we say in China, 家有易老,如有易保. The Elders' language data and wisdom are invaluable assets to the project, which can only begin through mutual trust and community support. Well, building the trust does take time. I think you're right. It's worth the effort. Yes. Let's take a seat.

Okay. What if we reframe our goal to achieving a community-backed data collection by the 21st? Agreed When you roam do as the Romans do I will just do as the Hausa people do Thank you for understanding You are welcome Amina The mission of our project is exactly to preserve Hausa language and its unique culture Definitely. Especially in the AI era, compared with English or French, Hausa language is used less frequently by the young people.

I'm wondering, in the near future, the younger generation in Hausa communities cannot speak their mother tongue. Indeed. A report from UNESCO states that there are 8,324 languages in the world now, among which 7,000 are still in use, and one language disappears every two weeks.

The extinction of a language leads to cultural loss. Yes, Professor Wang, Amina. Given that, I designed a Hausa language learning module in the AI system. The AI dialogue logic was stated directly. Learning Hausa is pretty important. First, it's a major African language with rich cultural heritage. And second, it offers business opportunities.

Then, start learning. Well, that sounds like a lecture. A lecture? Yeah, for the young people in my village. This drum might be more persuasive. The drum conveys messages in Hausa culture. Yes, as a child, hearing the drum, my grandmother would sing in Hausa. Daga ida, zua ka zua, gaha duna hudi.

Education nurtures success from home to market. At that moment, I felt the language speaking directly to my heart. So, have the AI be the drum first? Exactly. Since Hausa people are renowned traders in Africa, and many expressions in the Hausa language have developed specifically from commercial interactions, so maybe the AI system could start with a drumbeat, then whisper...

Do you know what's saying? Your next opportunity begins with XANU. Learn it with me to unlock your story and business prospects. I see. First, let the user hear the heartbeat of their own culture, then introduce the reasoning. Yes, in this way, the users will be more easily persuaded. Yes, Professor Wang, Amina, by the end of this month, we're traveling to Africa for data collection. I invite you both to participate. Okay, glad to join. With your involvement, I believe the Hausa AI interactive system will be successfully developed. In the AI era, each culture and language should not vanish but thrive. The case analysis will explore three

questions. Why the Chinese AI company collaborates with African community to build a Hausa AI system? system? What cultural similarities and differences exist within the business communication? How characters from both cultures achieve successful business cooperation by the above three theoretical frameworks? First, according to the Sapir-Wolfe hypothesis, language acts as a medium for cultural expression. Therefore, to protect the Hausa language is to preserve the African Hausa culture. And the Culture Map Framework analyzes cultural impacts on international business collaboration from eight scales. In our case, the cultural differences and similarities are reflected in four of them.

First communicating Both Chinese and Hausa cultures are high context where meaning is often embedded in non cues In the case Hausa culture uses drum beats to convey messages and Chinese culture speaks through the context. Second, leading. Both Chinese and Hausa cultures are hierarchical, respecting authorities and elders. Thus, they unanimously agree to incorporate the elders' voices into the AI system. Third, scheduling. Both cultures have a flexible view of time, but the Chinese approach is more sequential. While in Hausa culture, relationships usually take precedence over schedules, and the deadline is more flexible. And that explains why Ms. Zhu focuses on efficiency

while Amina prioritizes community rapport. Fourth, persuading. Chinese culture is principles first, So Ms. Ju's AI system starts with abstract reasons for learning. In contrast, health culture is applications first, which is why Amina starts with concrete experience of the drum and the proverb. Then, healthy characters from both cultures collaborate successfully.

In this case, they demonstrate high CQ, the capability of an individual to function effectively in culturally diverse situations with four factors. In metacognitive CQ, Professor Wang acts as a strategic facilitator, monitoring cultural interactions and providing hybrid strategies. In cognitive CQ, Amina shares key Hausa cultural knowledge, enabling others to expand their views on Hausa culture. In motivational CQ, Ms. Zhu shows strong interest and confidence in adapting to Hausa culture. In behavioral CQ, All three characters respect the two cultures to achieve business success.

In conclusion, this case displays a Chinese AI company partnering with African community to protect African language and culture. It's a testament to China's commitment to cultural diversity and bridging AI divides as championed in UNESCO's 2023 AI Ethics Guidelines. Putting its principle into action, China launched a $5 million fund in 2024 to build Africa-language corpora like HealthUp, leading global efforts to safeguard cultural heritage and foster international AI collaboration through concrete action.

Thank you.