Sixty South Sudanese medical students have started a two-month Chinese language program at Juba Teaching Hospital.
The "Chinese Bridge" initiative, now in its fifth
batch, has become a key platform for cultural exchange since 2021, especially
among medical students.
Mandarin Chinese, the world’s most spoken native language,
is gaining popularity, with support from the Anhui Provincial Health
Commission, which has sent 12 medical teams to South Sudan over 13 years.
At the launch on Thursday, Chargé D' Affairs Huo Ying
emphasized the program's value and encouraged students to make the most of the
opportunity.
“It is heard that each training program lasts for about two
months, I sincerely hope that you will cherish this opportunity and study hard
and use the key to language to open the door to the door of more
opportunities,” Ying said.
“I look forward to the communication between us in simple
Chinese next time we meet, and the opportunity to invite you to visit China,
experiencing the Chinese language in depth and sensing China.”
Among the participants is Adut Yak, a laboratory technician,
who expressed her joy and sees the program as a valuable tool in her
professional role.
“It is going to help me when someone comes and doesn't know
how to speak the language, then I can translate and if there is any drug that
is written in Chinese language, then I can translate to the patient,” she
stated.
Daniel Ayuel, another student in the program, believes the
training will have a broader impact beyond communication.
“We will be able to communicate with Chinese team and it will promote civilization to our country through the language,” he asserted.