Accompanied by principals from the Student Affairs Department, Development Planning Department, Office of International Exchange and Cooperation, and Institute of Chinese Financial Studies, SWUFE President and Deputy Party Secretary Zhuo Zhi visited Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, and the Confucius and Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Republic of North Macedonia from May 21 to May 23.
On May 21, Zhuo Zhi attended the 2023 Confucius Institute Board Meeting of Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje in company with Nikola JANKULOVSKI (President of Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje) and board members from China and North Macedonia. The Board deliberated and adopted the 2022 annual work report, the 2022 final accounts, and the 2023 annual budget report. The two sides discussed and reached a consensus on agreement renewal and relevant matters.
On May 22, Zhuo Zhi attended the 10th anniversary of the Confucius Institute at Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, together with over 400 participants, including Zhang Zuo (Chinese Ambassador to North Macedonia), Nikola JANKULOVSKI (President of Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje), representatives from the Association of Friendship and Cooperation between Macedonia and China, the Academy of Science and Art of North Macedonia, and Chinese-funded enterprises, overseas Chinese, and teachers and students of the Confucius Institute. Zhang Zuo addressed that language is a bridge for dialogue between different civilizations. SWUFE is willing to work with North Macedonia to open up a new prospect of enhanced exchanges and understanding among different peoples and better interactions and integration of diversified cultures. Nikola JANKULOVSKI spoke highly of the important contributions made by the Confucius Institute to the expansion of cultural and educational exchanges between China and North Macedonia over the past ten years and expressed the willingness of North Macedonia to continue close cooperation with China and carry forward the friendship between the two countries. Zhuo Zhi praised the Confucius Institute for achieving the targets and missions of Chinese teaching and cultural communication in the past ten years. He hoped that the Confucius Institute could actively spread Chinese culture, enhance friendship and exchanges, continue to promote cross-cultural exchanges and mutual learning, and strengthen bonds between people from the two countries. He said that SWUFE would play a better role and make greater contributions to the high-quality development of the Confucius Institute.
On the afternoon of May 23, Zhuo Zhi and SWUFE delegates visited the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Republic of North Macedonia and held talks with Ambassador Zhang Zuo. Zhang Zuo said that SWUFE gave full play to its own advantages and jointly established the Confucius Institute with Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje and the Confucius Institute has produced fruitful outcomes in the past decade. The embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Republic of North Macedonia is willing to carry out extensive and in-depth cooperation for the two countries' universities and continue to play its role as a bridge of communication and service platform. Zhuo Zhi appreciated the Embassy for its strong support in developing the Confucius Institute. SWUFE will continue to deepen cooperation with Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, expand avenues of cooperation with universities in North Macedonia, and promote the Confucius Institute to play a greater role in people-to-people exchanges between China and North Macedonia.
The trip is of great significance to consolidating and deepening existing cooperation, enriching and innovating forms of exchange, and promoting the opening-up of high-level education. The Confucius Institute has been a solid bridge for cultural exchanges and educational cooperation between China and North Macedonia for a decade and has become a window for spreading fine traditional Chinese culture. In the future, SWUFE will take the Confucius Institute as the link to further strengthen the exchanges and cooperation between the two universities, and continue to make greater contributions to the cultural exchanges and people-to-people exchanges between China and North Macedonia.
