On 18 March, SUIBE-cosponsored Confucius Institute at theUniversity of Zagreb opened its Chinese teaching point at theFaculty of Economics of the University of Rijeka in Croatia.Present at the opening ceremony were Croatia’s Vice Minister ofFinance, Vice Rector of the University of Rijeka, Head of theEducation Department of Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, and teachersand students of the Faculty of Economics.
Professor Heri Bezić, Dean of the Faculty of Economics, deliveredthe welcome speech at the open ceremony. Erik Fabijanić, Presidentof the County Assembly of Primorje Gorski Kotar, Vojko Obersnel,Mayor of Rijeka, Violeta Jelić, Secretary General at the CroatianChamber of Trade and Craft, Mario Antonić, Deputy Secretary Generalat the Croatian Chamber of Trade and Craft, Luka Burilović,President of the Croatian Chamber of Economy, Zhao Deyong, ChineseAmbassador to Croatia, Yan Lidong, Chinese Director of CI Zagreb,and Krešimir Jurak, Croatian Director of CI Zagreb, also maderemarks at the opening ceremony.
After the opening ceremony, Ms. Jia Xufeng, senior advisor at thePodravka Group, Croatia and researcher at Université Libre deBruxelles, Belgium, gave a speech titled “Sino-Croatian EconomicRelations in the Current International Economic Climate”, coveringthe current situation, existing problems, and future prospects ofthe economic relations between the two countries. The speech waswell received by the audience.
As Chinese learning becomes increasingly popular in Croatia, anincreasing number of teachers and students at the Faculty ofEconomics of the University of Rijeka want to learn the Chineselanguage, know more about the Chinese culture, and promote tradewith China. After many rounds of consultation between the CI Zagreband the university, a Chinese teaching point is now formallyestablished at the university. Over 100 students have now enrolledin the Chinese course, a number much larger than expected.
CI Zagreb also held, at the opening ceremony, a photo exhibitiondisplaying China’s trade with some of the world’s major economiessuch as the European Union, Middle and Central Europe, and theUnited States, an overview of China’s One Belt and One RoadInitiative, China’s economy and infrastructure, which drew a largeaudience.
The Croatian State Television interviewed the co-directors of CIZagreb, and local media gave extensive coverage of the event.