"I want to be a bridge between Turkmenistan and China" — A Turkmen teacher in Lanzhou on her journey

Jahan Saryyeva from Turkmenistan has traveled a long path, starting as one of the first Turkmen students at Lanzhou Jiaotong University and eventually becoming a Chinese language teacher at the same institution. Today, she is the only foreign specialist at the university to hold an official professional certificate for teaching Chinese as a foreign language.

Saryyeva entered Lanzhou Jiaotong University in 2008 — she was one of the first twelve Turkmen students to choose this higher education institution. According to her, her interest in China developed back in middle school through learning about the history of Confucius, the Great Wall of China, and tea culture. To date, this university has trained more than 200 graduates from Turkmenistan.

In 2019, J. Saryyeva moved into teaching and administrative work at the university's Institute of International Education. In her classes, she speaks Russian with students from Central Asia and Russia, and English with students from Europe and Africa. "Knowing different languages and understanding cultures allows me to build bridges of communication with the world," she noted in an interview with a correspondent from the "Xinhua" news agency.

In 2022, Jahan Saryyeva was honored with the "Dunhuang" award from the government of Gansu Province. This award is given to foreign specialists who have made significant contributions to the development of the region's economy, science, education, and professional training.

In addition to teaching, she leads a book lovers' club at the "Foreign Experts' Book House." Here, teachers and students from various countries share their impressions of the books they have read.