UoB’s Confucius Celebrates the UN Chinese Language Day The Chinese Ambassador Praises the Friendly Relations Confirming Language as the Bridge of Communication Between Cultures

Sakhir – University of Bahrain (Khadijah Abdusalem)

2 May 2023

The Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the Kingdom of Bahrain, Ni Ruchi, praised the role of the Confucius Institute at the University of Bahrain (UoB) in promoting friendly ties between the Kingdom and China since its establishment in 2014, stressing the importance of languages as a bridge of communication between cultures.

As UoB’s Confucius hosted the Chinese ambassador, in a dialogue session on the United Nations (UN) Chinese Language Day, under the slogan “Facilitating Dialogue between Civilizations”, on Thursday, April 20, 2023, to raise historical and cultural awareness, and to outline the Chinese language’s achievements and features.

The Chinese ambassador answered the students’ questions in an interactive dialogue on a number of topics such as: the best universities in China, tourist attractions, the commercial sector, development in the economic field, the advantages of learning the Chinese language, and studying in China.

The Bahraini Director of the Confucius Institute Vice President for Academic Programs and Graduate Studies, Dr. Mohammed Reda Qader, confirmed the continuation of educational and cultural cooperation between China and Bahrain as part of the “Belt and Road Initiative” and Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030, and encouraged students to participate in the Chinese Bridge Competition Program 2023, praising the success of the Confucius Institute in its educational and cultural mission.

For her part, the Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute, Dr. Ju Qianwen, provided an overview on the “Chinese Bridge Competition”, Chinese grants from the government, Chinese language courses, student exchange programs, and cultural trips, in preparation for the participation of the University’s students in the twenty-second “Chinese Bridge Competition” in Chinese language and culture for foreign universities students.

On the sidline of the meeting, an exhibition was held to display paintings and posters of traditional Chinese characters and zodiac signs, which included several story and educational books in Chinese for beginners.

The meeting was attended by members of the Board of Directors of the Confucius Institute at UoB, a number of faculty members and students from various colleges of the University, as well as a delegation from the Chinese embassy.

It is worth noting that the UN Chinese Language Day is held on April 20 of each year, as it is one of the six official languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish) celebrated by the United Nations, to encourage cultural diversity and multilingualism.