Kenya hosts 25th Chinese Bridge contest finals as language push gathers pace

The Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi on Thursday officially launched the national finals of the 25th Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competition for college students.

The fete brought together top learners from universities and colleges across the country in a showcase of language skills and cultural exchange.

The event, hosted at the University of Nairobi, drew participants, educators, and government officials, highlighting the growing footprint of Chinese language education in Kenya.

The language proficiency competition has been hailed as one of the hallmarks of Nairobi's deepening bilateral ties with Beijing.

Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Guo Haiyan congratulated the finalists and praised institutions and partners supporting the spread of the Chinese language and people-to-people exchanges.

“Since 2022, the Chinese Bridge competition has attracted more than 1.8 million participants globally. It is a bridge connecting China with the rest of the world,” she said.

The envoy singled out Kenyan contestants for their strong performances on the global stage, citing the case of Naomi, a University of Nairobi student who emerged third in last year's competition.

She noted that language learning is increasingly tied to economic opportunity and development.

“Behind language lies the pulse of development. China has, in a few decades, completed industrialisation that took some countries much longer and established a development path suited to its national conditions,” Amb. Guo said.

She added that Kenya, as a leading economy in East Africa, stands to benefit from closer engagement, particularly in agriculture, trade, and the digital economy.

“Learning Chinese is a key to opportunities. Today you are here to study, but tomorrow it will open doors to a wider world,” she told the contestants.

The ambassador also pointed to recent milestones in Kenya-China relations, including President William Ruto’s visit to Beijing in April 2025, which she said heralded Kenya's “all-weather ties in the new era” with China.

She further noted that China’s zero-tariff treatment for African exports would take effect from May 1, expressing optimism that the policy will expand trade opportunities for Kenyan goods.

According to organisers, this year’s finals feature 20 contestants drawn from various institutions.

Wang Shangxue said most of the finalists were selected from Confucius Institutes based at the University of Nairobi, Egerton University, and Moi University, reflecting the growing network of Chinese language centres in the country.

Vice-Chancellor Margaret Hutchinson described the Chinese Bridge competition as one of the most influential international platforms for Chinese language learners.

“More than 1.8 million participants from over 160 countries have taken part in the competition. It serves as a vital platform for linguistic, cultural, and people-to-people exchanges,” Prof. Hutchinson said.

She noted that interest in Chinese studies has been rising steadily in Kenya, with the language now introduced as an optional subject in secondary schools under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system.

“In recent years, Chinese has been introduced as an optional subject in high schools, and we are confident the standard of proficiency among Kenyan students will continue to rise,” she said.

Prof. Hutchinson added that academic exchange programmes between Kenya and China have expanded significantly, with hundreds of Kenyan students undertaking study visits to China in recent years.

“The journey we have seen is spectacular. This is a platform for cultural exchange, dialogue, and friendship,” she said.

The government also signalled stronger policy support for Chinese language education, with officials outlining new training programmes and institutional partnerships.

Higher Education Secretary Carol Hunja, speaking on behalf of Principal Secretary Beatrice Inyangala, said Kenya and China had signed a cooperation agreement on joint Chinese language training, which is now being implemented.

“The Chinese undergraduate programmes at the University of Nairobi, as well as the 2+2 programme, will set high standards for Chinese education in other Kenyan universities and facilitate expansion into primary and secondary schools,” Hunja said.

She added that Chinese has already been incorporated as an optional subject in senior schools under the CBE framework, helping to build local capacity for language instruction.

“We are establishing a new training programme for in-service teachers to enable more students to learn Chinese. We also have a 1+1 postgraduate programme aimed at enhancing teachers’ classroom capacity,” she said.

Under the initiative, Kenya will also receive native Chinese language instructors to work alongside local teachers, with oversight from China’s Centre for Language Cooperation.

The Chinese Bridge competition, she added, plays a key role in assessing language proficiency and encouraging uptake across all levels of education.

As Kenya positions itself as a regional trade and education hub, stakeholders say the growing popularity of Chinese language learning reflects a broader economic and diplomatic shift.

Language is increasingly seen as a gateway to jobs, investment, and cross-cultural engagement.

The national finals will culminate in the selection of representatives to compete on the global stage, continuing Nairobi's participation in a competition organisers describe as both an academic contest and a symbol of deepening international ties.

Representatives from Kabete National Polytechnic, Utalii College, Strathmore University, United States International University (USIU), Riara University, Technical University of Kenya, Masinde Muliro University, and the University of Nairobi attended the event.