The annual Norwegian-Chinese student dinner was held in the Ambassador’s residence on Tuesday 16 October with a record high number of participants. Present were both Norwegian students studying in China, Chinese students studying Norwegian at Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) as well as members of NorAlumni China.
The residence was packed with over 110 people, and spirits were high as the Norwegian and Chinese students were eager to practice each other’s languages. Present at the gathering were also the teachers in Norwegian at BFSU as well as Chinese alumni who used to study in Norway, and this gathering brought back a good memory of their stay in Norway. For the first time, the Norwegian Embassy worked together with BI (Norwegian Business School) Alumni in inviting BI alumni to the student gathering.
In his opening remarks the Deputy Chief of Mission, Mr Nils Martin Gunneng, stressed the importance of cross-cultural exchange. Mr. Tobias Judin from the University of Oslo on a semester at Peking University followed up on this theme where he on behalf of the other students told about their enriching experiences in China, the new leader of the Association of Norwegian Students Abroad (ANSA), Mr Simen Johan Willgohs presented the organization, and finally two Chinese students from BFSU, Mr Liu Sicong and Ms Yong Chunhong, impressed the audience with their mastery of Norwegian in a xiangsheng style performance about learning Norwegian.
After a good meal the BFSU students continued to impress by performing both a Norwegian and a Chinese song. As the dinner was drawing to an end after desserts and additional rounds of socializing, everyone seemed to be content about an evening well spent with both old and new friends. The gathering was highly appreciated by those who studied in Norway before, and was approved to be an excellent occasion for networking.
