Several Students From the Confucius Institute In Sofia Have Been Awarded the 2024 Chinese Ambassador's Scholarships

On 12th July 2024, in response to an invitation, the Confucius Institute in Sofia have participated in the awards ceremony of the Chinese Ambassador’s Scholarships. The awards ceremony has been attended by the Deputy Minister of Education and Science in Bulgaria Mr Nikolay Vitanov, the Rector of the University of Veliko Ternovo Prof. Dimitar Dimitrov, the vice-Rector of the University of Sofia - Mrs Reneta Bozhankova, and Mrs Nadia Cherneva - Director of the Centre for Languages and Cultures at the University of Plovdiv, Mrs Dai Qingli – Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China in Bulgaria, Mr Guan Xin - Cultural Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Bulgaria, Mr Yang Tian - Head of the Educational Affairs, Prof. Chen Ying - the Chinese director of the Confucius Institute in Sofia, the awarded students and numerous representatives of the Chinese students together with over fifty other people, have attended the event.
In her speech, the ambassador of PRC in Bulgaria Mrs Dai Qingli, has stated that the cooperation in the field of education has become a highlight of the friendly relations between China and Bulgaria. She has fully affirmed the achievements of the Confucius Institute in Sofia in the field of the Chinese language education in Bulgaria. She has expressed her hopes for maintaining the friendship between the two countries and creating further glory. Mr. Nikolay Vitanov and representatives of the universities have delivered speeches to congratulate the award-winning students, and to axpress their gratitude to the Chinese state for providing valuable opportunities for Bulgarian students to study in China, so that they are being encouraged to continue their hard work and to become ambassadors of the humanistic exchanges between China and Bulgaria.
A total of 21 students have received the Chinese Ambassador's Scholarship, including six students from the Confucius Classrooms under the Confucius Institute in Sofia: Raya Koeva and Polina Georgieva from the Confucius Classroom at the Southwest University; Dimka Lazarova, Desislava Gureva and Krasimira Panayotova from the Confucius Classroom at the University of Plovdiv; Alexandra Boeva from the Confucius Classroom at the English Language School in Burgas. It has been the first time ever that a student from the English School in Burgas has received this scholarship. In the cultural performance that followed, Raya Koeva from the Confucius Classroom at the Southwest University, dressed in traditional Chinese national costume, has sung Chinese songs and has won the applause of the audience.
Since their establishment, the Confucius Institute in Sofia have actively promoted the development of Chinese language education in Bulgaria and the preparation of Bulgarian students to study in China, and have made positive contributions to the promotion of the educational exchanges between China and Bulgaria.

Confucius Institute in Sofia
Text: Chen Chen
Pictures: Chen Chen
Editors: Prof. Cheng Ying, Aksiniya Koleva
English translation: Maya Kostadinova

Picture 1. Speech by Mrs Petrana Stoykova - vice-Rector of the Southwest University, a partner university of the Confucius Institute in Sofia.

Picture 2. Mrs Nadia Cherneeva - Director of the Centre for Languages and Cultures at the University of Plovdiv - a partner university of the Confucius Institute in Sofia, delivering a speech.

Picture 3. The prize-giving to some of the awarded students from the Southwest University.

Picture 4. Awarding the prizes to some acclaimed students from the University of Plovdiv.

Picture 5. Students of Confucius Institute in Sofia singing Chinese songs.

Picture 6. A group photo of guests and the award-winning students.