A producer and film crew from China will visit The Ohio State University on April 9-10 to do a story on the success of the university’s Chinese Language Program, and its ability to yield an unprecedented winning streak in the international Chinese Bridge Competition.

The Chinese Bridge Competition, known as the Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students Worldwide, is the international test for student performances of highly advanced Chinese language proficiency and culture skills. Each competitor appears individually before a live audience and gives a rehearsed speech, responds spontaneously to a discussion question, answers questions about Chinese history, geography and culture, and gives an inspired performance of a cultural skill or art form of their choosing.

Hunan Satellite TV (HSTV) will spend time in the classroom and interview Professor Galal Walker, director of the National East Asian languages Resource Center and the Chinese Flagship Program, Huanzhen Zhao, coach of the Ohio State Chinese Bridge contestants, and other Chinese instructors and students including the 2004 winner of the Chinese Bridge Competition, Ohio State graduate student, Patrick McAloon.

Ohio State has entered the Chinese Bridge Competition for the past four years and has compiled an unprecedented record of three first place wins, one second place win and one "best talent performance" win. No other American university has earned a first-place win, and no other college or university worldwide has matched Ohio State’s record.

HSTV plans to showcase Ohio State’s teaching methods which have made the university’s Chinese language and cultural instruction programs so effective and competitive. The footage shot at Ohio State will air to Chinese audiences nationwide in China.

More than 100 students from 52 countries competed in last year’s competition. Josh Lotz, a third year student from Ohio State, majoring in biochemistry and Chinese was named a first place winner. Winners receive a fully paid, three-year scholarship to study at any Chinese university. Lotz is currently working in China conducting research at the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology and studying Tibetan and Chinese at Qinghai Normal University in Xining.

About Us

The Chinese Flagship Program at the Ohio State University is a two-year program including undergraduate and Master’s students for the advanced study of Chinese that prepares Americans to work in China-related careers. For more information, visit chineseflagship.osu.edu.

The Office of International Affairs advances high quality international education programs, scholarships and service activities to promote global opportunities for Ohio State, its faculty, staff and students. For more information, visit oia.osu.edu.