By Foday Moriba Conteh
The Confucius Institute of the University of Sierra Leone, in collaboration with the Chinese Embassy in Sierra Leone, has on Wednesday 5thJune 2024 held its 23rd Edition of the Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students inclusive of those in Sierra Leone on the theme: “One World, One Family”. The event, held at Bintumani Hotel on Aberdeen in Freetown, celebrated the linguistic talents and cultural knowledge of students from various colleges in Sierra Leone.
Nine outstanding contestants were selected to compete in this year’s final, demonstrating their proficiency and understanding of the Chinese language and culture. After all presentations were completed, Yusuf Sesay, a student at Fourah Bay College, was announced as the winner of the 23rd Edition of the Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students.
Professor Chen Xuebin, the Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute at Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, highlighted the significance of the “Chinese Bridge” competition series, which includes the Chinese Show for foreign primary school students and the Chinese Proficiency Competition for foreign college students. These internationally recognized initiatives aim to promote Chinese language and culture among students worldwide. “This competition has become a prestigious platform for showcasing linguistic talents and cultural knowledge,” Professor Chen stated.
He extended his gratitude to the Chinese Embassy for entrusting the Confucius Institute with the responsibility of hosting these significant events. The preliminary round of the Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students took place on March 29th, attracting 18 participants. Nine outstanding contestants were selected to compete in the final, demonstrating their proficiency and understanding of the Chinese language and culture.
“Today, I would like to take this opportunity to extend my heartfelt thanks to all participants for their diligent preparation, to the lecturers for their hard work in instructing the contestants, and to the judges for their dedicated efforts in evaluating the competitions,” Professor Chen continued. He wished all contestants the best of luck, encouraging them to achieve excellent results, demonstrate high-level skills, and exhibit a commendable spirit.
The Chinese Ambassador to Sierra Leone, Wang Qing, began by congratulating the finalists for their achievement in reaching the competition’s final stage, acknowledging their dedication and skill. “You are the best! You deserve our sincerest applause!” he declared.
Highlighting the rich history and cultural significance of the Chinese language, Ambassador Wang emphasized its role in fostering a deeper understanding of China’s past, present, and future. He noted, “The Chinese language is the crystallization of China’s profound and rich history and culture. When you study Chinese, you can feel the beauty of the shape, the structure, the sound, and rhythm of this language.”
Ambassador Wang also reflected on recent cultural exchange events between China and Sierra Leone, such as the International Chinese Language Day Celebration and the China-Sierra Leone Cultural Exchange Event.
He expressed his delight at seeing the growing interest among young Sierra Leoneans in Chinese culture, including Chinese opera, tea, martial arts, and traditional musical instruments. “It shows the charm of Chinese culture, the power of mutual appreciation of civilizations, and the potential of China-Sierra Leone relations,” he said.
Drawing a parallel between China’s renowned infrastructure projects and the competition, Ambassador Wang described the event as a bridge-building exercise. “Today’s competition is also a kind of bridge building, using the Chinese language as a medium to build a bridge between our hearts and minds,” he remarked.
He highlighted the long-standing friendship and partnership between China and Sierra Leone, which has spanned over 53 years, and expressed hope for continued cooperation and shared progress in the future.
The theme of this year’s competition, “One World, One Family,” resonates with China’s vision of global unity and common development. Ambassador Wang referenced President Xi Jinping’s Global Civilization Initiative (GCI), which advocates for the respect for diverse civilizations, shared human values, and robust international exchanges. “China is ready to work together with the international community to open up a new prospect of enhanced exchanges and understanding among different peoples and better interactions and integration of diversified cultures,” he stated.
In his closing remarks, Ambassador Wang expressed gratitude to the teachers, volunteers, and supporters of Chinese language education in Sierra Leone. “Without your help, the ‘Chinese Bridge’ could not connect us so tight. I do hope you will keep up the good work and go on achieving even greater success!” he concluded.
Dr. Abdulai Walon-Jalloh, Head of the Linguistics Department at Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, expressed gratitude on behalf of the University of Sierra Leone, Fourah Bay College, and particularly his department, for the immense benefits from this exchange and collaboration.
He emphasized the transformative opportunities provided by the Chinese Bridge competition, underscoring the broader implications of learning Chinese, noting that it allows communication with nearly half of the world’s population, enhancing future collaboration and cooperation, urging students to seize this opportunity to position themselves for future prospects beyond the awards and accolades of the competition.
Yusuf Sesay, a student at Fourah Bay College who took the first position commended the Institute for organizing the ‘Chinese Bridge’ Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students which he said has enabled her to learn the Chinese language.
He called on Sierra Leonean students to show interest in learning Chinese, adding that studying Chinese in this present world has so many advantages
Closing the event was the announcement of the names of the final 9 University student winners followed by the award of prizes as well as the announcement of the final result for the 4rdEdition of the ‘Chinese Bridge’ Chinese Proficiency Competition for primary school pupils together with the award of prizes to those who did well.
