The national finals of the 2025 “Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press · National Talent Cup” “Understanding Contemporary China” National College Foreign Language Contest (Italian Division) recently concluded in Beijing. The competition has been included in the Ministry of Education’s 2025 list of recognized college student academic competitions and is considered one of the premier foreign language competitions in China.
After multiple rounds of selection and intense competition at the university, provincial, and national levels, Han Xinchen, a 2023 undergraduate majoring in Italian at the School of Foreign Studies (SFS) at Nankai University, won the National Silver Award in the Italian Division for his solid language skills and outstanding overall qualities. He was coached by three faculty members from the Italian Department at SFS: Dr. Ni Yang, Dr. Letizia Vallini, and Dr. Shi Dou.
Photo of Han Xinchen and his instructors, Dr. Ni Yang
Silver medalists and the judges
Group photo of all contestants, instructors, and judges
Students majoring in Italian at SFS, Nankai University, have won awards in this competition for three consecutive years. This not only demonstrates the outstanding language proficiency and cross-cultural literacy of Italian majors but also serves as a concrete manifestation of the program’s implementation of the “Three Entries” initiative in Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. The Italian Department at SFS, Nankai University, emphasizes the deep integration of foreign language proficiency development with national narratives. It focuses on enhancing students’ core competitiveness in effectively telling China’s stories through international discourse, to cultivate more professionals equipped with systematic and solid foreign language knowledge, strong professional skills, and outstanding cross-cultural communication abilities—individuals who will serve as practitioners in foreign affairs, researchers of international issues, leaders in scientific and technological innovation, communicators of human civilization, and providers of language services.
