Acting Rector of the University of Banja Luka Prof. Ranko Škrbić, PhD, met with Guofei Wang, Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Bosnia and Herzegovina, on 6 November 2026 to discuss the enhancement of academic and scientific research cooperation and the strengthening of partnerships with Chinese universities.

At the meeting, held at the Rector's Office, the importance of the Confucius Institute of the University of Banja Luka in promoting the Chinese language and culture, as well as fostering links between academic communities, was highlighted.

Rector Škrbić announced plans to introduce a Master’s program in Sinology, expressing the expectation that the Chinese side would support this initiative.

He emphasized that the exchange of students and researchers was of mutual interest, particularly in terms of acquiring new knowledge and technologies that could be applied in the Republic of Srpska. As an example of successful cooperation, he noted that over the past year, more than 30 participants had taken part in exchange programs at Chinese universities and healthcare institutions in the field of medicine, including institutions in Shanghai and those affiliated with Sinopharm.

Rector Škrbić also highlighted the importance of the scholarship program, noting that six Sinology students had received scholarships from the Government of the People’s Republic of China this year. He expressed the expectation that the program would continue in the future.

Wang thanked the University of Banja Luka for its support for the development of the Confucius Institute, noting that this support had led to significant achievements. He particularly emphasized that the Institute was one of the most active in the region and provided a solid foundation for further strengthening interest in the Chinese language and China.

The meeting was also attended by Acting Vice-Rector for Human and Material Resources Dalibor Kesić, Director of the Confucius Institute of the University of Banja Luka, Liu Mengxue, and representatives of the Embassy.