Xinhua News Agency, Qingdao, September 14 (Reporters Wang Kai and Jiang Youlin) A few years ago, Uzbekistan girl Malika Oroyorova did not expect that she would come to Qingdao, China, thousands of kilometers away from her hometown of Tashkent, to study, not to mention the idea of "forming a bond" with the SCO in China.

A Journey of Study from "Mountain" to "Sea"

After high school, Malika decided to study abroad. Under the recommendation of relatives and friends, she finally chose China. Referring to the original intention of coming to Qingdao, she said: "For my mother."

"My hometown has mountains but not the sea. My mother wants to see the sea, and I hope to fulfill her wish." Malika said.

In 2019, Malika successfully applied for a scholarship and entered Qingdao University to study Chinese.

For Malika, Qingdao is beautiful, but also a little strange. The language barrier was the first problem she had to solve.

"I only studied Chinese for a few months before entering the school, and it was difficult to understand at the beginning of the class. At that time, the pressure was really great, and I even thought about giving up." She said.

What keeps Malika persevering is the help of teachers and classmates. "My pronunciation and intonation were not correct, and the teacher helped me to correct it word by word; if I had difficulty reading the text, the teacher led me to read it, and asked graduate students to help me learn Chinese characters and grammar; if there was something I didn't understand in my homework, I always asked other international students for advice. I was very touched by the patient answer," she said.

"Although Chinese is difficult, it also makes me feel amazing. I gradually fell in love with this language." Malika said, "China is a brand new country for me, and the unique customs here are very attractive to me."

From "Acquaintance" to "Kindness" of the Big Family

Many international students at Qingdao University come from SCO countries. Malika said that learning and communicating with everyone is a process of "increasing knowledge".

"In the classroom, the teacher will let us discuss a certain topic. While we feel cultural differences, we also learn to understand and respect different cultures."

In her spare time, Malika will "exchange cooking skills" with her classmates. "There is an open kitchen in the dormitory building. Students from different countries will cook together and invite each other to taste. It really feels like a big harmonious family!"

Malika Oloyorova poses for a photo at her birthday party (file photo). Xinhua News Agency

During the study period, Malika participated in the 2021 Shandong University Foreign Students Chinese Classics Reading Competition, the 2021 Confucian Classics Cross-language Reading Conference, and the 21st "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students. She said that while gaining friendship, she also increased her motivation to study.

"During the event, I met international students from other schools and shared their experiences in China with them." Malika said, "I am very envious of seeing many contestants answering questions quickly and accurately during the competition, and I also want to join forces with them. They are just as knowledgeable."

Malika told reporters that despite being far from home, her colorful life made her feel free from loneliness in China.

From the "Distance" to the "Awareness" of the "SCO Elements"

For Malika, the SCO used to be a "distant concept". "It turned out that I had only heard of this name, but I didn't know much about it." She said that she had a deeper understanding of the SCO after coming to Qingdao.

This summer, the China-Shanghai Cooperation Organization Institute of Economics and Trade in Qingdao held a new-generation communication technology training course for SCO countries on "Poverty Alleviation through Science and Technology", and Malika signed up to participate.

"The training includes highly professional content such as the Internet of Things, 5G, and artificial intelligence." Malika believes that the content of the training class is not easy to understand, but it is very meaningful.

"Some of the trainees are professionals, who can use the knowledge they have learned to develop their own technologies. Although I don't understand technology, I can use the language advantage to help Uzbekistan and Chinese companies find opportunities for cooperation," she said.

This summer, Malika also participated in the 2022 "Summer of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization" China-Shanghai Cooperation Organization National Youth Festival, and performed the song and dance named as "Into the Future Together" with young people from China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Sri Lanka and other countries".

"The performance was excellent, and you could feel the warm atmosphere of people from different countries walking hand in hand towards a better future," she recalled.

Not long ago, Malika learned that the Pearl of Qingdao-SCO International Expo Center, which is located in the China-Shanghai Cooperation Organization Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Zone, will set up an exhibition area for Uzbekistan's national cultural elements. She hopes to bring her classmates and friends together after the launch to see and introduce them to the history and culture of Uzbekistan.

In September this year, the 22nd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization will be held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. "I am very happy that this important event can be held in my home country. Now that the SCO is no longer far away from me, I am willing to participate and contribute," Malika said.