On May 16 local time, the Turkey Finals of the 25th “Chinese Bridge” Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students and the 19th “Chinese Bridge” Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign Secondary School Students were successfully held at the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Türkiye. The event was hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Türkiye and organized by the Middle East Technical University Confucius Institute. A total of 24 contestants from universities and secondary schools across Türkiye participated in the competition. Chinese Ambassador to Türkiye Jiang Xuebin, Counselor Zhou Meifen, Counselor Sun Wei, representatives from universities and secondary schools, and directors of Confucius Institutes attended the event.
In her speech, Counselor Zhou Meifen stated that the “Chinese Bridge” competition has become an important platform for cultivating local Chinese language talents and promoting cultural exchanges between China and Türkiye. Guest representative Aykut Dal shared his personal experience of participating in and winning the “Chinese Bridge” competition during his university years, encouraging contestants to continue learning Chinese and contribute to future China–Türkiye exchanges.
After fierce competition, Şeyda Temel from Middle East Technical University won the university division championship, while Doğa Akkuş from Ankara Atatürk High School won the secondary school division championship. Both winners will represent Türkiye in the global finals in China.
As the organizer of the event once again, the Middle East Technical University Confucius Institute played an important role in the preparation and coordination of the competition, ensuring its smooth operation through professional organization and extensive experience. The institute’s contestants also achieved excellent results, winning first prize and third prize in the university division, while their instructor received the “Outstanding Instructor” award.
The “Chinese Bridge” competition served not only as a showcase of Chinese language proficiency and Chinese cultural talents, but also as a platform for intercultural dialogue and friendship among young people, contributing to cultural exchanges and mutual understanding between China and Türkiye.