SOAS student claims podium at UK Chinese language contest
SOAS student Nicole Cervantes won third place in this year’s UK Chinese Bridge Competition, which celebrates Chinese language and culture.
The annual Chinese language proficiency competition, held at SOAS earlier this month, involved 18 contestants from 11 UK universities. It is recognised globally as the most challenging Chinese proficiency competition for university students who are non-native speakers.
Nicole’s coach Zhaoxia Pang, Lecturer in Chinese, was very proud of Nicole’s achievement. Given the fact that most of the contestants on the final round had the experience of study abroad in China, Nicole’s achievement is truly remarkable. Her win means that she will go to China for the global competition on behalf of UK universities this coming summer.
Nicole said: “I am incredibly thankful to the Chinese Bridge Competition for this amazing opportunity to represent the UK in the final stages! I am committed to working diligently and passionately to make SOAS proud. This competition is not just about language, its testament to the richness of Chinese culture and the vital importance of intercultural dialogue. Thank you to my incredible teacher Pang Laoshi for her unwavering support throughout this journey.”
SOAS’s international outlook and diversity was also recognised recently in the QS World University Rankings 2027, where its international faculty ranked joint first in the UK and international students ranked 21 in the UK. SOAS was also named among the UK's top universities for graduate employment. Linguistics and Modern Languages were also recognised among the global top 100 in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026 earlier this year.
