Nkurunziza Tharcisse, the winner of Rwandan final of the 2026 Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students, poses for photos with Gao Wenqi, Chinese ambassador to Rwanda, in Kigali, Rwanda, May 24, 2026. (Photo: Xinhua)
KIGALI, May 25 (Xinhua) -- The Rwandan final of the 2026 Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College and Secondary School Students was held in Kigali, the country's capital city, on Sunday.
The contest, hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Rwanda and organized by the Confucius Institute at the University of Rwanda (UR), gathered students from UR and several secondary school students studying the Chinese language.
Gao Wenqi, Chinese ambassador to Rwanda, highlighted that the Chinese Bridge connects the cultures of China and Rwanda, enhances practical cooperation between the two countries, and tightens the bonds between our peoples.
Noting that in Rwanda, more than 20,000 students have joined the Chinese-learning community, Gao encouraged the winners of the final to gain an in-depth understanding of China with their eyes and hearts, and tell their family and friends a true story of China.
Eric Niyongabo, provincial education coordinator of Kigali at Rwanda's Ministry of Education, said that educational and cultural exchanges remain an important pillar of Rwanda-China cooperation.
"Through initiatives such as the Chinese Bridge Competition, scholarships, academic partnerships, and institutional collaboration, our students are gaining international exposure and preparing themselves for a globally interconnected future," Niyongabo noted.
The championship of the competition for foreign college students was won by Nkurunziza Tharcisse from the UR's College of Education, while Gwiza Sabrina from Ecole Notre Dame de la Providence de Karubanda claimed the title in the competition for foreign secondary school students.
From 2014 to 2026, the Chinese Embassy in Rwanda and the Confucius Institute at UR have successfully held 13 Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competitions for Foreign Secondary School Students and 12 Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competitions for Foreign College Students in Rwanda.
Gwiza Sabrina, the winner of Rwandan final of the 2026 Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign Secondary School Students, delivers a speech during the competition in Kigali, Rwanda, May 24, 2026. (Xinhua/Liu Youmin)
Chinese language lovers watch the Rwandan final of the 2026 Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College and Secondary School Students in Kigali, Rwanda, May 24, 2026. (Xinhua/Liu Youmin)