Language bridges cultures, expands career prospects

语言搭建文化桥梁，拓展职业发展前景

"The question is no longer, 'Why should I study Chinese?' Instead, it has become, 'How can I benefit from Chinese in my future career?'"

“问题不再是‘我为什么要学习中文？’取而代之的是‘我如何借助中文为自己未来的职业发展赋能？’”

That shift, expressed in the words of Rehab Mahmoud, director of the Confucius Institute at Cairo University, points to the profound transformation of Chinese language education in Egypt over the past three decades.

开罗大学孔子学院院长马哈茂德（Rehab Mahmoud）的一番话道出了这一观念转变，也反映出过去三十年来埃及汉语教育的深刻变革。

Having chosen to study Chinese herself in 1988, when it was still regarded as a "specialized language" with few takers, Mahmoud has witnessed firsthand how the field has grown into a popular and practical choice for thousands of Egyptian students.

1988年，马哈茂德选择自己学习汉语。当时汉语仍被视为一门小众“专业语言”，学习者寥寥无几。她亲眼见证了中文如何发展成为成千上万埃及学生追捧、实用性极强的学习选择。

Today, more than 30 Egyptian universities offer Chinese departments, and dozens of secondary schools have introduced Chinese as an elective. She has attributed this surge to the tremendous development in Egyptian-Chinese relations at the political, economic, cultural and educational levels, which has fueled the demand for Egyptians who can communicate in Chinese and understand the society behind the language.

如今，30多所埃及大学开设了中文系，数十所中学开设了中文选修课。她将这一热潮归因于埃中关系在政治、经济、文化和教育层面的巨大发展，这刺激了市场对能用中文交流并了解语言背后社会国情的埃及人才的需求。

As the first Confucius Institute in Egypt and North Africa, the Cairo University institute has earned the title of "Global Model Confucius Institute". For Mahmoud, who has been honored with a commemorative medal and an appreciation plaque for her efforts, the achievement cannot be represented by any single award.

开罗大学学院是埃及和北非地区首家孔子学院，荣获“全球模范孔子学院”称号。马哈茂德因其工作贡献获得了一枚纪念奖章和一块感谢牌匾，但在她看来，这份成就的价值远非单一奖项所能概括。

Rather, she pointed to the institute's impact on the lives of its students and on the growing relationship between the two countries as the key indicators of success.

相反，她指出，这所孔子学院给学生人生带来的影响以及它为两国之间关系持续深化作出的贡献是衡量成功的重要标尺。

The institute has expanded Chinese education through partnerships with schools, universities and other institutions — developing curricula, administering examinations, training teachers, and hosting cultural activities, including competitions, seminars, lectures, exhibitions and performances.

该孔院通过与中小学、大学和其他机构的合作来拓展中文教育事业——开发课程、组织考试、培训教师和举办文化活动，包括竞赛、专题研讨会、讲座、展览和表演。

Crucially, Mahmoud stressed how culture is woven into learning: a Chinese language student should not only know how to construct a grammatically correct sentence, but also understand how Chinese people think and how they view history, society, values and culture.

马哈茂德着重强调了文化融入学习的全过程：汉语学生不仅应该知道如何写出语法正确的句子，还应该理解中国人的思维模式，以及他们看待历史、社会、价值观和文化的视角。

Mahmoud said nurturing a generation of Egyptian Chinese-language specialists — teachers, translators, researchers and other professionals who now work with Chinese-related organizations — is a point of pride.

马哈茂德说，培养一代埃及汉语专家——教师、翻译人员、研究人员和其他与涉华机构合作的专业人士——是一件值得骄傲的事情。

Mahmoud highlighted three main drivers of the rising demand of Chinese language students in Egypt. The first is the significant growth in economic and trade ties. China is now a major partner for Egypt, with Chinese companies and projects across many sectors, creating real demand for Chinese-speaking Egyptians.

马哈茂德强调了埃及对汉语学生需求不断增长的三个主要驱动因素。首先是经贸关系的显著增长。中国现在是埃及的重要合作伙伴，中资企业和项目遍布各行各业，这对掌握中文的埃及人产生了切实的需求。

Second, the increase in tourism and cultural-educational exchanges has made Chinese a vital tool in hospitality, aviation and tourism sectors, she said.

其次，旅游和文化教育交流的日益频繁，中文已经成为酒店、航空和旅游领域的重要工具。

Third, and the most important, Mahmoud said, is how young Egyptians increasingly see Chinese as a competitive advantage. She noted that a student who graduates with a particular specialization and then adds Chinese to his or her skill set may find entirely different career opportunities — an engineer can work for a Chinese firm, a business graduate can enter the trade and import-export field, a tourism major can cater to Chinese visitors, and an IT specialist can collaborate with Chinese tech companies.

马哈茂德说，第三点，也是最重要的一点，是埃及年轻人越来越将中文视为一项竞争优势。她指出，一个学生在掌握本专业知识的基础上，再学会中文技能，可能获得更多全新的职业发展机遇。工程师可以为中国公司工作，商科毕业生可以进入贸易和进出口领域，旅游专业的学生可以服务中国游客，IT专家可以与中国科技公司合作。

Thus, Chinese has become an additional skill that complements a student's academic specialization rather than a disconnected subject, she added.

她补充道，因此汉语已经成为一项辅助学生发挥本专业优势的附加技能，而不是一门脱节的学科。

Looking ahead, Mahmoud is committed to localizing Chinese language education — not simply translating textbooks, but developing content tailored to Egyptian students' age, environment, culture and educational system.

展望未来，马哈茂德致力于汉语教育的本土化——不仅仅是翻译教科书，而是开发适合埃及学生年龄特征、社会环境、本土文化和教育制度的内容。

As Egypt and China mark the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year, Mahmoud said that the past seven decades have demonstrated that China-Egypt relations are not limited to political and economic ties, but are also characterized by deep human, cultural and educational connections.

今年适逢埃中两国建交70周年，马哈茂德表示，过去70年充分证明，中埃关系不仅限于政治和经贸往来，深厚的人文、文化和教育联系是双边关系的鲜明特征。

For the Confucius Institute, the next phase should expand its role beyond language teaching into digital education, artificial intelligence, teacher training, curriculum research, student exchange and interuniversity cooperation, she said.

她说，对于孔子学院来说，下一阶段应该将其作用从语言教学扩展到数字教育、人工智能、教师培训、课程研究、学生交流和校际合作多个领域。

Looking ahead, Mahmoud urged more joint programs, more Egyptian students studying in China, and more Chinese students visiting Egypt. With its long experience, academic standing and extensive networks, she is confident the institute can play a pivotal role in this evolving landscape.

展望未来，马哈茂德呼吁更多的中外合作项目，更多的埃及学生来华留学，更多的中国学生赴埃及交流。凭借其长期的经验、学术地位和广泛的合作资源网络，她相信该孔子学院可以在这一不断发展的双边格局中发挥关键作用。

Mahmoud, who calls China her "second home", said language is the most important bridge connecting two peoples. When Egyptians learn Chinese — and when Chinese learn Arabic — they go beyond books and news to understand each other at a deeper level. "Language begins with a word, but it can lead to friendship, trust, and mutual understanding," she said.

马哈茂德称中国为她的“第二故乡”，她说语言是连接两国人民最重要的桥梁。当埃及人学习中文时，当中国人学习阿拉伯语时，他们超越了书籍和新闻的局限，在更深层次上了解彼此。她谈到，“语言始于一字一词，却能够孕育友谊、信任与彼此相知”。

That sentiment is mirrored by her students. Rawya Saed Abdelhamed, a fourth-year student, was inspired by a Chinese TV drama in high school to learn the language. She now plans to pursue master's and doctoral degrees to become a university teacher, with the aim of passing on the beauty of the Chinese language to more people.

她的学生也同样怀揣这份情怀。四年级学生拉维娅·赛义德·阿卜杜勒哈米德（Rawya Saed Abdelhamed）在高中时受到一部中国电视剧的启发，开始学习汉语。她现在计划攻读硕士和博士学位，成为一名大学教师，目的是将汉语之美传递给更多的人。

Classmate Malak Tamer Mohamed, who took up Chinese after her parents suggested it, recalled her most memorable moment — meeting Chinese students on campus, speaking with them in Chinese, and sharing a meal together during her first year of college. She too aspires to become a Chinese teacher after further study in China.

同学马拉克·塔梅尔·穆罕默德（Malak Tamer Mohamed）在父母的建议下学习了中文，她回忆起自己最难忘的时刻——在校园里遇到中国学生，用中文与他们交谈，并一同聚餐。她也渴望在中国深造后成为一名汉语教师。

For Mahmoud, these young voices are the living embodiment of her life's work. After more than 30 years, she said what has given her the greatest satisfaction is not simply that she learned Chinese, but that she has been able, even in a small way, to help more Egyptians discover China and more Chinese people discover Egypt.

对马哈茂德来说，这些年轻学子的心声是她毕生事业最生动的写照。历经30多年耕耘，她说给她最大满足感的不仅仅是学会了中文，而是自己尽绵薄之力，能够帮助更多的埃及人认识中国，让更多的中国人了解埃及。