TRIPOLI, July 28 (Xinhua) -- In a quiet classroom in the Libyan capital of Tripoli, Taha Shlibk stands before a whiteboard, marker in hand, carefully tracing the first strokes of Chinese characters with the precision of someone who once drew only circuit diagrams.
Around him, students lean forward, eyes moving between the board and their notebooks, immersed in deciphering a new linguistic world.
Now an assistant Chinese teacher at "House of Wisdom for Chinese Language Education in Libya," Shlibk spent a decade making the journey from circuit boards to whiteboards.
It all began in 2015, when Shlibk graduated from the Department of Communications Engineering at the University of Tripoli and joined a Chinese technology company in Libya. There, he first encountered Mandarin, and his curiosity was instantly sparked.
"The language was completely new to me. Its sounds were different from any language I had known, and it had a special beauty that attracted me from the very beginning," Shlibk recalled. "My curiosity pushed me to learn more, and my interest gradually expanded to Chinese culture as well."
Determined to master the language, Shlibk taught himself Chinese through online videos, websites, and textbooks, while supplementing his studies with weekly lessons from Chinese teachers.
After nine months of daily study at home, he had memorized around 1,100 Chinese characters before arriving in China in August 2018 to study at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
During his years in Nanjing, Shlibk immersed himself in Chinese life. The experience sharpened his language skills and deepened his understanding of Chinese society and culture.
When he returned to Libya, he made it his mission to share the beauty he had found in the Chinese language with more people.
In 2025, Shlibk's vision converged with that of engineer Hamza Al-Ghadiwi, a training and human resources professional who had recognized a gap in Libya's education system: despite China's growing global influence, opportunities to learn Chinese remained limited.
After exploratory visits and participation in cultural conferences in China, Al-Ghadiwi partnered with China's House of Wisdom International Cultural Group to launch the "House of Wisdom for Chinese Language Education in Libya."
The center now offers online courses taught by local instructors and Arabic-speaking Chinese teachers like Shlibk, along with seminars and discussion sessions at its office in central Tripoli.
It is also working to introduce Chinese language programs into private schools and university curricula.
Among its students is 21-year-old Mustafa Dried, a second-year Spanish major at the University of Tripoli, who also developed an interest in Chinese after interacting with Chinese professionals at workplaces.
Dried began self-learning in November 2024, passed the HSK 2 exam in Tunisia, and found his path transformed under Shlibk's mentorship.
"I hope to obtain a bachelor's degree in China and become a certified Chinese language teacher at the center," he said.
Today, the House of Wisdom serves more than 100 students from across Libya, bringing together learners from diverse backgrounds.
For Shlibk, teaching Chinese is more than just a job; it is a way to build a cultural bridge between China and Libya.
"What we are doing is more than sharing knowledge. It is about connection, hope, and the quiet architecture of a future yet unwritten," he said.
