Visit by the delegation of World Centre for Confucian studies

Rector of Banja Luka university, prof. Radoslav Gajanin, PhD, met on 22 May 2024 with the delegation of the Nishan World Centre for Confucian studies from People’s Republic of China, headed by the Deputy Director of this Centre, Guo Chengyuan.

The Rector pointed out that the University of Banja Luka (UBL) has a fruitful cooperation with universities from China.

He said that UBL fulfills all conditions to cooperate with World Centre for Confucian studies and added that the Confucius Institute at UBL is one of the most active in Europe.

“We have study program Sinology at Faculty of Philology, enrolling the third generation of students. Therefore, we have the opportunity to improve that cooperation and to advance this form of cooperation with the Centre of Confucian studies”.

According to Rector, along with the Faculty of Philology and Confucius Institute, cooperation with World Centre for Confucian studies may also be realized by Faculty of Political Sciences and Faculty of Philosophy.

The Rector said that some 30 students currently study Sinology at University of Banja Luka. “I am positive that the interest for this study program shall grow over time. China is perhaps the leading country in economic development, i.e. employability of students who graduate from Sinology department is very high considering all criteria. There are no unemployed Sinologists in the labor market”, said Gajanin.

Deputy Director of World Centre for Confucian studies, Guo Chengyuan, said they are coming from the Shandong province, which is also the homeland of Confucius, and that is why this Centre has been established.

She said that the visit by the World Centre for Confucian studies has a two-fold value, considering that the University of Banja Luka has Confucius Institute and also the study program Sinology.

“We believe that cultural exchange, as well as academic exchange, can be raised to a much higher level, so that we have a joint publishing activity and researching Confucian studies”, said Guo who is also Vice-President and Secretary General of the China Confucius foundation and a Secretary of the Party Committee at the Institute for researching the Confucian studies.

Professor at Sinology department, Bojana Pavlovic, PhD, said that the delegation of the World Centre for Confucian studies Nishan is interested in extending the academic cooperation.

“They want to see if there is a possibility to open a research center, second type of cooperation would be publishing activity, and the third one would include Chinese experts coming here for a period and holding lectures” said Pavlovic.

The meeting held in the Rectorate of the University of Banja Luka, was also attended by the Vice-rector for teaching process, students’ issues and quality, prof. Milica Balaban, PhD. They discussed concrete ways of cooperation, such as studying Confucian philosophy, research activity in that regard and possibilities of joint publishing activity.

The World Centre for Confucian studies Nishan was established by the Provincial government of Shandong and the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China. This Centre is global, and it is promoting and supporting research in the field of Confucian studies worldwide, and it aims to encourage international cooperation in that field.

After the meeting in the Rectorate, the delegation visited the Confucius Institute at University of Banja Luka.

Photo: D. Desnica