Tianjin Delegation Visited the University of Banja Luka

On 10 October 2019, Rector of the University of Banja Luka Professor Radoslav Gajanin, PhD, talked with a six member delegation from the Chinese city of Tianjin about potential cooperation.

At the meeting held at the University of Banja Luka, Rector Gajanin emphasized that the University is committed to cooperation in the field of student and teacher exchange. He said that in the near future he expects a delegation of professors of the University of Banja Luka to visit Tianjin, but also that representatives of Tianjin faculties and universities visit the University of Banja Luka.

As Gajanin pointed out, in the forthcoming period they will actively work on introducing Chinese as a second foreign language at the faculties within the University of Banja Luka.

„Several faculties have already introduced Chinese language as an elective course that carries a certain number of ECTS credits“, Rector said and praised the work of the Confucius Institute at the University of Banja Luka, which has been actively working on connecting the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Srpska.

He also said that in the coming period they expect a significant support from Chinese partners in establishing a Center for Chinese Studies within the University of Banja Luka.

Deputy Director of Tianjin Municipal Education Commission Liu Xin, who was also the head of the Chinese delegation in Banja Luka, emphasized at the meeting that closer cooperation between the University of Banja Luka and this Chinese city has been achieved over the past period.

As he said, Tianjin currently has 55 universities and 3 000 secondary schools.

„Students from 160 countries around the world are studying at our universities today," Liu Xin said and expressed readiness of Tianjin University to cooperate with the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine and other faculties at the University of Banja Luka.

Apart from Liu Xin, the Chinese delegation included: Deputy Director of the Department for International Cooperation of Tianjin Municipal Education Commission Prof. Wang Junyan, Project Officer of the Confucius Institute Office at Tianjin University of Technology and Education Zhang Yuanyua, Project Officer of the Confucius Institute Office at Tianjin Foreign Studies University Zhang Yang, Project Officer of the Confucius Institute Office at Polytechnic University Ji Nuo and Project Officer of the Confucius Institite Office at Tianjin Normal University Feng Yuan.

The University of Banja Luka delegation included Vice Rector for International and Interuniversity Cooperation Prof. Biljana Antunovic, PhD, Vice Rector for Teaching and Student Issues Prof. Strain Posavljak, PhD, Vice Rector for Scientific Research and University Development Prof. Goran Latinovic, PhD, and Confucius Institute Home Director Ljiljana Stevic.