Source: School of Chinese as a Second Language
Written by: Liu Miaomiao
Translated by: Li Shouyi
Proofread by: Naomi Lounsbury & Liang Jianxin
Edited by: Wang Dongmei

From October 12th to 16th, 2015, the exclusive interviews with the international students from Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU) were broadcast on “The Great Silk Road” program of Phoenix Satellite Television. The six students interviewed are all from countries along the Silk Road, sharing their experiences of studying, living and working in China. Using Chinese as a common language, they play the roles of “Envoys of the Modern Silk Road”, contributing to the spread of Silk Road culture. The program has excited a very positive reaction from the teachers and the students.

The Uzbek students Odilov Farkhod and Tillaev Dilshod are postgraduate students of the Master of Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages (MTCSOL) program at the School of Chinese as a Second Language (SCSL). They shared their connections with the ancient Silk Road and their love of China, and expressed the wish to promote more cultural communication between Uzbekistan and China. In the future, Tillaev wants to be a Chinese teacher and translate Chinese books into Uzbek, and provides a window for Uzbek people to learn more about China. Odilov, on the other hand, dreams of being an ambassador, and acting as a bridge to connect the two countries.

The Egyptian couple Ehab Samir Kabary and Hend Kotb Abdel Halim talked about their “China Complex” in the interview. Hend is a Ph.D candidate majoring in Linguistics and Applied Linguistics, while Ehab majors in the MTCSOL program. Their romance originated from a shared affection of Chinese culture, and they expect to pass this affection on to their soon-to-be-born child. Hend is currently devoted to writing Chinese textbooks for Arab students, which is a research field that nobody in Egypt has yet touched upon. Ehab hopes to establish a Chinese Learning Center to help Arab businessmen learn Chinese.

The Mexican student Nubia Cano is also a postgraduate candidate of MTCSOL program. By winning the scholarship of Confucius Institute, she fulfilled her wish of studying in China and realized her “Chinese Dream”. Nubia is very fond of traditional Chinese music and is adept at playing the Hulusi. Hoping to facilitate Mexican people’s understanding of China and Chinese culture, she wants to return to Mexico after graduation. “I plan to go back to Mexico in the future, but my heart will always stay here in China.”

Hakim Jarrar, who comes from Palestine and graduated from SCSL in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree, has lived in China for 8 years. Hakim was actively engaged in various internships when he was a student. Last year, he founded a trading company in Guangzhou, marking an important milestone in his career. Talking about his way of doing business, Hakim said, “If you want to do business with Chinese people, English and Arabic are not enough. You must speak Chinese.” He also mentioned that the way people think and do business are different in different countries. Fluent in Chinese, Hakim wants to build a bridge to connect Arab and Chinese businessmen.

"The Great Silk Road" is a program launched by Phoenix Satellite Television in September 2015 to echo the “One Belt, One Road” initiative, uncovering the achievements of the Silk Road and delivering the message of peaceful development.