On the evening of December 30, 2025, the 2025 International Students’ New Year Gala, organized by the International College of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), was warmly held at the H2O Auditorium, East Campus. International students from around the world gathered to bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new one in an atmosphere filled with music, laughter, and friendship.
Ms. Shen Yizhu, Deputy Director of the Office of International Cooperation, attended the event and delivered a speech. She reflected on the progress and achievements of 2025 accomplished jointly by the university and its international students, highly commended their active engagement in academic pursuits and campus exchange, and extended sincere New Year wishes to both Chinese and international faculty and students.
Amid enthusiastic applause, the Dragon Dance performance opened the evening. With dynamic movements and powerful drumbeats, the performance instantly energized the audience, setting a festive and joyful tone for the gala.
The cultural performances that followed were rich in content and diverse in form, vividly showcasing international students’ efforts to overcome language barriers and deepen their understanding of Chinese language and culture. Many students performed songs in Chinese, spanning a wide range of styles. Chinese group songs such as I Believe and A Fire in Winter conveyed youthful passion and vitality, while Warmth and The Moon Represents My Heart expressed genuine emotions through gentle melodies. Performance like Look Over Here, Girls and Sorry, My Chinese Is Poor highlighted students’ confidence and humor, while linguistically and culturally demanding works such as Rare Words and the classical poem Bring in the Wine demonstrated their growing proficiency in Chinese and engagement with traditional culture. Performances in Urdu and English further highlighted cultural diversity, allowing multiple traditions to shine on the same stage. As group songs like Friends and Little Happiness echoed through the hall, a warm sense of connection and resonance filled the audience.
Interactive sessions further enriched the evening. A New Year trivia quiz helped students learn more about Chinese culture in a relaxed and cheerful way, while games such as Musical Chairs and Pass the Parcel brought excitement and laughter. The lucky draw segment surprised the audience repeatedly, pushing the atmosphere to new highs. Team-building activities including Tug-of-War and the Hula Hoop Relay later in the evening further strengthened bonds among students from different countries and fostered a spirit of cooperation.
The gala concluded successfully with a group photo taken amid applause and smiles. What the camera captured was not only joyful moments, but also friendships and mutual understanding that transcend language and national borders. Through music, dance, and interaction, students from across the globe wove a “network of friendship” that warmed the winter night. In the year ahead, the International College will continue to build platforms for multicultural exchange, supporting Chinese and international students as they move forward together to create a more open, inclusive, and vibrant campus community.
（Photos by: RAOHA BIN MEJBA）
