Newsletter: Chinese Brings Us Together as One Family
—“Chinese Bridge” Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students in Ukraine

“What is home? Home is the place where hearts are closely connected. Where is home? Home is in our hearts; home is at every corner of the world; home is the place where dreams can come true. When I was studying in China, my classmates were from seven different countries. It was Chinese that brought us together and made us a family.”

The Chinese speech themed on “One World, One Family” of Elisaveta Luban, the No.7 contestant, won thunderous applause and cheers in the hall of South Ukrainian National Pedagogical University (SUNPU).

It was the final of the 17th “Chinese Bridge” Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students in Ukraine on May 11th in Odessa, a southern harbor city in Ukraine.

15 contestants from different places of Ukraine participated in the competition. Although their Chinese proficiency varied, they all demonstrated the same efforts, in the hope of presenting their best to the judges and the audience.

“It is not the victory but the hard work and the courage to participate in such top-level competition that matters.” No.1 contestant Bai Mudan from the region of Carpathian Mountains, Ukrainian said.

After four rounds of competition, namely keynote speech, Q&A sessions, talent show and improvisation, Elisaveta Luban, a student of the Confucius Institute of SUNPU, won the contest.

"My great-grandfather was Chinese, so I have special feelings for China. The blood tie renders me a sense of belonging, and as for me, Chinese is like my second native language," Elisaveta Luban said in her acceptance speech.

The Confucius Institute of SUNPU now has an enrollment of more than 2,000 students. And SUNPU has become the first university in Ukraine to award a master's degree in Chinese after approval. Oleksiy Chebykin, the headmaster of SUNPU and an academician of the National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine, expressed in the interview.

Chebykin spoke highly of the contributions made by the Confucius Institute at SUNPU. He said that many students hope to learn more about China and even engage in relevant professions, which will cement the relationship between China and Ukraine. Chebykin also remarked, “Confucius Institutes bring us together as a family.”

The “Chinese Bridge” is held annually in turns by four Confucius Institutes in Ukraine. The Confucius Institute of the South Ukrainian National Pedagogical University in Odessa is the host this year.

(Story by Zhong Zhong, Chen Junfeng, Xinhua News Agency, Odessa, Ukraine, May 12th)