On January 21, Confucius Institute was ceremoniously opened at the University of Banja Luka in BiH. President of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik, Premier Željka Cvijanović, Deputy Mayor of Tianjin Zhao Haishan, Ambassador of China to BiH Chen Bo and Rector of the University of Banja Luka Radoslav Gajanin attended the ceremony. Chen Bo, Dodik and Zhao Haishan unveiled together the plaque of the Confucius Institute and addressed the assembly.
In her address, Chen Bo congratulated on the official opening of the Confucius Institute at the University in Banja Luka. She said that the extraordinary thoughts of Confucius left a deep mark not only on the development of Chinese civilization, but gained recognition among people of other countries. Confucius does not belong just to China, but to the whole world. Even today, the principles of the Silk Road, such as peaceful cooperation, openness and tolerance, mutual learning and joint victory, on which cooperation on the “Belt and Road” is based, are in line with Confucius’ thoughts on universal harmony of the world. With Republika Srpska’s participation in building the “Belt and Road”, cooperation between Republika Srpska and China in all areas is developing rapidly. The opening of the Confucius institute at the Banja Luka University is continuation of the traditional cooperation between the two sides, and it has created a new platform for human exchange. She voiced expectation that the Confucius institute at the University of Banja Luka will become a leader in cultural exchange between the two sides and serve as an example.
Dodik noted that the founding of the Confucius Institute of the University in Banja Luka is significant for Republika Srpska and that it is a result of a long-standing friendship and development of cooperation between Republika Srpska and the Chinese side. This is another measure of the Chinese side in the area of human communication within the “Belt and Road” initiative. He expressed hope that Republika Srpska will promote Chinese culture and propagate Chinese successes and experiences, playing the role of a bridge for communication and cooperation in all areas between Republika Srpska and China.
Zhao Haishan called the Confucius Institute a link for linguistic communication and a platform for mutual learning between civilizations. Confucius Institute of the University of Banja Luka is a proof of the growing cultural communication between China and BiH. He expressed expectation that it will inherit and develop friendship between China and BiH, with the aim of developing cultural exchange in the spirit of tolerance, mutual sharing, harmony and coexistence, giving thus a new and greater contribution to practical communication and cooperation between the two sides in all areas, as well as to building a community of shared destiny of mankind.
That evening, the University of Banja Luka organized a concert to celebrate the opening of the Confucius Institute, which was attended by more than 500 people from all walks of life in Republika Srpska. Students of the University of Banja Luka and the University of Technology and Education from Tianjin gave an outstanding performance.
* * *
The Confucius Institute of the University in Banja Luka is second Confucius Institute in BiH. The seat of the first one, established in 2015, is at the University of Sarajevo.
