On May 22, the “China in My Eye” Chinese Speech Contest for international students was held at the Guanghua Building on Handan Campus.
Nicole Yap Wei Shiuan, a freshman of the MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) program who comes from Malaysia, is one of the first prize winners. Her speech highlighted the blending of familiarity and innovation she experienced in China. “The Chinese elements, language, and culture here are very much like those in the Malaysian Chinese community, but the scale and vibrancy of Shanghai are unparalleled,” she said.
Nicole has been immersed in a trilingual educational system in Malaysia, where she grew up speaking Mandarin, Malay, and English. Her enthusiasm for public speaking dates back to her primary school years when she received training in trilingual speech and broadcasting. She joined Fudan’s Speech and Eloquence Association last November, winning third prize in a freshman speech competition. “Every speech contest and exchange strengthen my resolve to pursue public speaking and broadcasting,” Nicole remarked.
Nicole believes that the essence of speech is to connect with people emotionally and rationally. She particularly appreciated the opportunity to discuss with judges the traditional and contemporary views on “格物致知” (investigating things to acquire knowledge), which deepened her appreciation for Chinese literature and culture.
Kulysiri Thongkhum from Thailand, a third-prize winner of the contest, shared in her speech what she found about China’s achievements in both ancient and modern times. She was impressed by what she saw during her visit to Xi’an, awe-inspired by the long history and rich culture of China. She also shared her success on Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok), where her videos about her life in China garnered 70,000 likes from viewers.
Kulysiri’s journey into learning Chinese language began in Thailand, and her passion was further ignited during a four-month language program at Northwest University, China, back in 2019. Currently a third-year undergraduate majoring in Chinese Studies at Fudan University, she aims to enhance her Chinese proficiency to pursue a career in a China-related company, bridging cultural divides between China and Thailand.
Yuliia Kosohova, a first-year master’s student from Ukraine, currently in her third month of exchange at Fudan University, also signed up for the contest to test out her Chinese speaking skills. Having studied the language for five years, she sought to refine her public speaking skills in Chinese and shared her journey into learning the graceful art of Chinese traditional dance.
Expressing her delight in hearing the narratives of fellow students and learning about their experiences in China, Yuliia talked about the beauty of Chinese dance and its inspiration for her future endeavors. Though winning only the merit prize, she said, “The allure of Chinese dance has motivated me to continue my exploration of it upon my return to Ukraine.”
Hosted by Fudan’s International Cultural Exchange School, this year’s contest had participants from both undergraduate program and Chinese language program. Divided into three groups—primary, intermediate, and advanced—according to Chinese proficiency, contestants delivered speeches to share their experiences and insights about the country.
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Presented by Fudan University Media Center
Writer: GONG Jiaxin
Editor: LI Yijie, WANG Mengqi
