Student from the Confucius Institute at the University of Burundi won the “African Champion” in the 18th “Chinese Bridge” World Middle School Students Chinese Competition
Recently, the 18th “Chinese Bridge” World Middle School Students Chinese Competition Global Finals came to an end at the Tianjin Meijiang Convention and Exhibition Center. Ba Qingyang (Nzeyimana Barack Yvain), a student from the Confucius Institute at the University of Burundi jointly established by Bohai University, won the championship in the African region with his solid Chinese language skills and outstanding overall performance. He was awarded the title of “Chinese Ambassador” and successfully entered the top five globally, bringing honor to the African region.
This competition lasted for 16 days and attracted over 400 primary and secondary school students from 106 countries around the world. The event was held successively in Beijing and Tianjin, covering multiple sections such as cultural experience, written tests, speeches and talent shows. During his stay in Beijing, Ba Qingyang climbed the Great Wall, experienced Tai Chi, tasted roast duck, and visited the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace, deeply experiencing the unique charm of Chinese culture. In the competition held in Tianjin, Ba Qingyang advanced to the top 30 globally in the first round of the “Bridge Crossing Competition” with a smooth speech and the creative stage play “Devoted to the Country”. In the advancement round themed “Ocean”, he remained calm and composed, demonstrating excellent language expression and teamwork skills. Eventually, he won the title of “African Champion” with the top score in Africa and advanced to the finals. In the final, his performance of Chinese drums and plum blossom solo knives, combined with his speech titled “The Future World in My Heart”, vividly demonstrated the vitality and ideals of African teenagers, winning warm applause from the audience.
Over the past three years, under the professional guidance of the teachers at the Confucius Institute of the University of Burundi, Ba Qingyang’s Chinese proficiency and stage performance have been continuously improving. Through unremitting efforts, he has stepped onto the world stage. The Chinese teachers selected by Bohai University have combined their professional knowledge with the local teaching practice, continuously promoting the improvement of teaching quality at the Confucius Institute and helping Burundian students open the door to learning Chinese.
Since the establishment of the Confucius Institute, Bohai University has continuously invested high-quality teaching staff and resources, actively supporting it to become an important platform for educational cooperation and cultural exchanges between China and Burgundy. More and more Burundian youth are enhancing their understanding of China and broadening their international horizons by learning Chinese, laying a solid humanistic foundation for in-depth cooperation between the two countries in education, culture, economy and trade, and other fields.
