A short video from the World Cup has recently gone viral on social media. On the streets of Cape Verde, an island nation in Africa, a large outdoor screen broadcast the World Cup live. When the national team scored its first ever goal in history, a young woman in the crowd could not contain her excitement, speaking fluent, standard Mandarin Chinese.
The young woman is Debora Ailine Dias Lopes Melicio, known as Ailine, who comes from Cape Verde, a tiny island nation in the Atlantic Ocean. In 2015, she came to Harbin Engineering University to begin a four-year undergraduate study programme.
Shortly after arriving in China, Ailine passed the HSK Level 5 Chinese proficiency test within just a few months and quickly adapted to an all-Chinese learning environment. She achieved all-round development during her time at the university. In 2017, she was elected Vice President of the International Students’ Union and received the “Star of Culture and Sports” award. In 2018, she competed in the university sports meeting, helping her team secure second place in the women’s team total score. That same year, she represented the university in the national finals of the Ministry of Education’s Vibrant China programme for international students, winning second place nationally in orienteering and fourth place in artistic performance, and contributing to the team’s fifth place overall in the national competition. Upon graduation in 2019, she was named a university-level “Friend of China Star” and recognised as an outstanding graduate.
As class monitor of the international student class and Vice President of the International Students’ Union, Ailine was dedicated to serving her fellow students and building a bridge between Chinese and international students. During the 2018 International Culture Festival, she was fully responsible for the Cape Verde booth, introducing the customs and culture of her home country to teachers and students in fluent Chinese.
After graduating in 2019, Ailine returned to Cape Verde and worked in local music television production and cultural event planning. She has been invited back to Harbin Engineering University on several occasions, leading groups to receive short-term study tour delegations from the United States. With her solid Chinese language skills and life experience in China, she has guided overseas young people to experience ice and snow culture. She also continues to produce short videos in Chinese, introducing China’s development and traditional culture to people in Cape Verde, and serving as an online bridge for people-to-people friendly exchanges.
Ailine’s growth is a vivid reflection of the achievements of Harbin Engineering University’s education for international students in China.
From travelling far to study in China to returning home with deep affection for the country, Ailine has put into practice the original aspiration of China–foreign cultural exchanges through her actions. Harbin Engineering University will continue to deepen internationalised education, enabling more international young people to encounter, understand and love China, and ensuring the flower of friendship blooms for a long time to come.
