Abdurasul Tukhtamishev, A Local Chinese Language Teacher in Uzbekistan: My "Bond with China"

Abdurasul Tukhtamishev (Li Qingqing), a 30-year-old Uzbek, is currently a doctoral student majoring in Chinese language at Samarkand State Institute of Foreign Languages (SamDChTI). He has numerous "labels" related to China: the first batch of jointly cultivated master's students between China and Uzbekistan, a local Chinese language  teacher, and an assistant on the Uzbek side. He continues to maintain his "Bond with China" through work and study.

Chinese Teachers Lead My Path to Education

In 2011, Abdurasul Tukhtamishev entered SamDChTI with excellence and became an undergraduate majoring in Chinese language, embarking on his journey of learning Chinese. At that time, the Chinese major at his university had just been established, with limited enrollment, so it was not easy to be admitted. Therefore, he cherished the opportunity to learn Chinese. "During my undergraduate studies, there was only one local Uzbek teacher, and all other Chinese-related courses were taught by Chinese teachers. So, most of my learning time was spent with Chinese teachers. I am an outgoing person who likes to chat, and the teachers said I was always happy, as if celebrating a festival every day, so they named me Li Qingqing."

Thanks to the guidance and companionship of Chinese teachers, Abdurasul Tukhtamishev's interest in learning Chinese grew stronger. After completing his bachelor's degree, he chose to continue his study for a master's degree in Chinese language. "I am very fortunate because I am one of the first batch of master's students jointly cultivated by SamDChTI and Shanghai International Studies University (SISU). I have two mentors, one from China and one from Uzbekistan, and my Chinese mentor is Professor Wu Airong from SISU."

A Versatile Local Chinese Language Teacher

After completing his master's degree, Abdurasul Tukhtamishev became a local Chinese language teacher and served as a class supervisor. As a novice teacher, he sometimes felt lost. Although he had studied Chinese for a long time and taught students from his own country, he encountered many challenges in Chinese teaching. "Some sentences spoken by the students are grammatically correct but sound strange because Chinese people don't express themselves that way." Therefore, Li Qingqing earnestly consulted teaching materials, sought advice from Chinese teachers whenever possible, and actively participated in training programs for local teachers to enhance his teaching skills.

As a class supervisor, despite being close in age to his students, Abdurasul Tukhtamishev did not relax his expectations for their Chinese learning. He shared his own learning experiences to motivate his students. Now, his first batch of students has graduated, with some of them working as translators in Chinese-funded enterprises in Uzbekistan, and some becoming local Chinese language teachers. Whenever he mentions this, he feels proud.

Since 2020, Abdurasul Tukhtamishev has been working as an enrollment and administrative assistant at the school, responsible for registration consultations, course arrangements, Chinese teaching, event organization, and daily administrative work. He can be seen in every corner of the school, making him a "versatile" figure.

To ensure the smooth progress of enrollment work in the new semester, he gave up his summer break and insisted on being on duty at the school every day, responding to inquiries from students. Whenever students encountered problems related to Chinese exams or scholarship registration, he was always there to provide assistance. If the school hosted important events, he would work late with Chinese teachers. Living in the suburbs, he often missed the last bus home.

Aspiring to Be a Sinologist, Passing on the friendship

Currently, while serving as a local teacher, Abdurasul Tukhtamishev is also pursuing a doctoral degree under the guidance of Professor Safarov Shakhriyor at the university, conducting comparative research on Chinese and Uzbek languages. "My thesis topic is relatively novel, with limited reference materials and some difficulties. But I still want to give it a try because I want to be a 'first mover.'" When it comes to his ideals, he said he wants to graduate with a Ph.D. as soon as possible and continue working and researching in fields related to Chinese language, becoming a Sinologist.

When asked why he has such deep affection for Chinese, he recalled a story during his study in China: when he was studying in China, he once suffered from acute appendicitis and urgently needed surgery. The surgery required a payment of $2,000, which he did not have at that time. A nurse in the hospital, who was a stranger to him, learned about the situation and covered the surgery fees for him, helping him through that difficult period. This act of kindness in his time of need deeply moved Abdurasul Tukhtamishev, and he thought, "Studying Chinese and encountering China was the best decision I have ever made, and it's worth sticking to."

"I have a connection with China, and Chinese language has helped me to fulfill my dream. I am also ready to assist more young people in Uzbekistan in realizing their dreams through learning Chinese," said Abdurasul Tukhtamishev.