HNU’s Office of International Cooperation and Exchange (School of International Education, SIE) organized a New Year’s party for international students on the morning of December 30, 2024. The event was also attended by Vice President Yue Wen, Director Liu Liang, Deputy Director Xiao Yanling (also Dean of SIE), Zhang Zhao, Vice Dean of SIE, Xu Miao, Deputy Director, and other staff members.
Yue Wen encouraged the international students to actively engage in campus activities, conduct cultural exchanges both on and off campus, and strive to broaden horizons and improve academic performance. He emphasized HNU’s commitment to creating more extracurricular opportunities and building platforms for cultural exchanges.
Before the party started, the students shared their experiences at HNU. KUMAR NAVIN, a doctoral student from Pakistan, said that this was his third time studying at HNU. He came to learn Chinese for the first time, returned for a master’s program for the second time, and is currently pursuing his Ph.D.. This time he has brought along his wife MONIKA, also a doctoral student. KUMAR NAVIN attributed his repeated returns to his love for Hainan and HNU. Similarly, GALIANA BOTELLA SIMEON from Spain, who completed his studies at HNU eight years ago, returned in 2024 to pursue a doctoral degree. He expressed his affection in fluent Chinese, “I love Hainan University! I love Hainan”! Director Liu Liang and Deputy Director Xiao Yanling thanked the students for sharing their stories. Liu encouraged everyone to contribute to HNU, a supportive and vibrant community and the second home for international students. Xiao promised to organize more events to help them succeed academically and have an enjoyable stay in Hainan.
At the party, the students gave impressive performances, showcasing their vigor and talent. TSHAMBI SONEKA COVIC, a master’s student from the Democratic Republic of Congo, sang the Chinese song “Your Answer” and the French song “Sur Ma Route”, calling on everyone to show resilience amid challenges. VERESHCHAGINA ANNA, a Russian student in the master’s program and GORBUNOVA KSENIIA ROMANOVNA, an exchange student, performed the classic songs “Katyusha” and “Kalinka”, while three Indonesian students PHOUNSAVATH SOUDATHIP, KETUT ARTIESA SUARATIH, and NI MADE NADA SWARI BUANA, delivered a spirited rendition of “Wonderland-Indonesia”, drawing enthusiastic applause from the audience.
In addition to the performances, the event featured Chinese calligraphy practice and games from different countries. Under the guidance of a calligraphy teacher, some students honed their skills. AHMED MD REZOAN, a student from Bangladesh, carefully wrote down the Chinese character “福” (blessing), expressing the best wishes for himself and HNU. Students also tried traditional Chinese games like touhu (pitch-pot game) and shuttlecock kicking, while Yemeni student ALHATAMI EMADALDEN MOHAMMED SALEM invited others to play the dominoes and international chess he brought to the party.
HNU has long attached great importance to the cultural life of international students. Such themed activities have helped them enhance a sense of belonging, expand social network, deepen the understanding of different cultures, and become promoters of cross-cultural exchanges.
Source from School of International Education
Translated by Han Yunsheng
Proofread by Kuang Xiaowen, Yang Jie
