SARGODHA: The Confucius Institute at the University of Sargodha on Tuesday hosted a lively cultural class this week, where students learned the proper use of chopsticks and tasted traditional Chinese food in a fun, interactive setting. Students practiced with traditional dishes such as dumplings (jiaozi) and noodles.
The session, titled the “Fall 2025 Use of Chopsticks & Chinese Food Cultural Class,” included hands-on demonstrations, food-handling techniques, and short games designed to improve chopstick skills. Winners of the activity received special bookmarks as a souvenir. Speaking on the occasion, Tahir Mumtaz Awan, Director of the Pakistan Institute of China Studies (PICS) at the University of Sargodha, said that the Institute aims to provide students with cultural familiarity alongside language learning, helping young Pakistanis better understand everyday cultural practices in China.
“Using chopsticks is more than a technique; it is a cultural language,” said Mr. Awan. “Chopsticks teach patience, delicacy and respect for food, and they represent a long tradition of communal eating in China. When our students learn to eat with chopsticks, they are engaging with centuries of cultural etiquette that still shapes Chinese society today.”
Students taking part in the activity said they enjoyed the informal learning environment and appreciated the chance to interact with Chinese traditions beyond textbooks.
In November, PICS’ faculty members and students authored and published 16 research-driven articles in foreign media outlets on Sino-Pak relations and the Belt and Road Initiative. This milestone highlights PICS’ expanding presence as an international academic interlocutor of CPEC and BRI, helping project Pakistan’s scholarly viewpoint into global policy and research conversations. –Agencies
