Ranked First Worldwide:Shanghai Jiao Tong University Students Win Top Honors in 2025 “International Chinese Language Day” Creative Writing Campaign
On the occasion of the 2025 “International Chinese Language Day,” the Center for Language Education and Cooperation of the Ministry of Education and the Chinese Language Alliance jointly launched the video campaign “Your Gift from the Character — 99 Creative Ways to Write Chinese Characters.” Chinese learners and enthusiasts of Chinese culture from 72 countries worldwide actively registered and participated. Following professional evaluation and online voting, 40 creative Chinese-character-writing videos were selected for awards.
A team led by Professor Zhou Bin of the School of Humanities at Shanghai Jiao Tong University organized 11 students—including international master’s students in International Chinese Education and other language majors—to participate, with 8 students winning awards. Among the 40 total awards, there were 20 tiered awards globally (2 Grand Prizes, 3 First Prizes, 5 Second Prizes and 10 Third Prizes). Seven students from Shanghai Jiao Tong University received tiered awards, accounting for 35 percent of all such prizes. The University ranked first worldwide in the total number of awards won.
Award Winners from Shanghai Jiao Tong University:
Mingliang (Mongolia) — Grand Prize
Lan Cheng (Sweden) — First Prize
Ye Wanxin (Russia) — First Prize
Oumena (Spain) — Second Prize
Xi Kaili (Romania) — Third Prize
Ji Yiichi (Japan) — Third Prize
Zhang Qinghua (Bolivia) — Third Prize
Zheng Yingshu (Korea) — Outstanding Video Production Award
Professor Zhou Bin, Ye Jiayi, and Zhang Xiaotong received the “Outstanding Instructor Award,” and Shanghai Jiao Tong University received the “Outstanding Event Participation Award.”
Grand Prize winner Mingliang said:“I am deeply honored to receive this award. I sincerely thank the School of Humanities at SJTU for offering international master’s students in Chinese education the opportunity to study Chinese calligraphy and painting, and I extend heartfelt thanks to Professors Zhou Bin and Zhang Xiaotong for their guidance and support in Chinese calligraphy and traditional culture. Their mentorship has enabled me to appreciate the endless charm of Chinese traditional culture and art. I hope to forge ahead and become an outstanding promoter of Chinese-character culture, to use my abilities to ‘impart the Way, teach knowledge, and resolve doubts’ when history passes the baton to me.”
First Prize winner Lan Cheng stated:“I thank International Chinese Language Day for bringing together Chinese-language enthusiasts from around the world. Practicing calligraphy is, in my view, an important way to learn Chinese. It helps me understand the origins, development, and aesthetic principles of Chinese-character writing, as well as the evolution among different script styles. Let us learn Chinese well, embrace China, and explore the world of Chinese characters.”
First Prize winner Ye Wanxin commented:“I am truly honored to receive this recognition. Through my work, I aimed to highlight the connection between the ancient civilizations of China and Russia and to express the beauty of cultural integration. For me, this experience was not only an exercise in creative writing but also an expression of a mission—the mission of disseminating the wisdom of Chinese characters and traditional Chinese culture. I wish every learner of Chinese to ‘journey’ and ‘reflect’ along their learning path, to gain insight and jointly shoulder the responsibility of spreading Chinese civilization.”
The School of Humanities at Shanghai Jiao Tong University has consistently adhered to its “four-in-one” educational philosophy: value orientation, knowledge inquiry, competence development, and character formation. Guided by quality and aligned with national needs, the School emphasizes cultivating international Chinese-education talents with diverse cultural perspectives and interdisciplinary skills.
In recent years, the School has launched foundational courses such as Chinese Character Calligraphy and Culture and electives such as Chinese Painting and Calligraphy; organized academic lecture series inviting leading scholars and industry experts at home and abroad to deliver talks on culture and art; and held exhibitions of calligraphy and painting by Chinese and international students to showcase their talents and inspire artistic potential. Students from the School—both Chinese and international—have repeatedly won major awards in significant international competitions.
Looking ahead, the School will continue to explore and implement an integrated educational model combining “International Chinese Education + Culture + Art,” contributing SJTU’s distinctive approach to international Chinese education and supporting its enrichment and distinctive development in the new era.
