SARAJEVO, April 20 (Xinhua) -- The University of East Sarajevo organized Wednesday a Chinese Language Day celebration at its Faculty of Philosophy in Pale, some 18 kilometers east of the Bosnian capital Sarajevo.
"Language is the carrier of the culture and holds a key to understanding the culture of a country. It's not only about learning another language, but also about learning a different way of thinking," said the Chinese Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH) Ji Ping at the ceremony.
Ambassador Ji said that the growing interest of BiH citizens in learning the Chinese language as well as the other way around is very encouraging.
He said that the number of Chinese higher education institutions which offer programs for studying the Bosnian language grew from two to eleven in only a few years, indicating the desire of the two nations to foster cooperation.
The ambassador also presented awards to Jovana Bozic and Lamija Hajrovic, two students who shared the first place at the painting and graphic exhibition dedicated to the Chinese Language Day.
"I was inspired by classical Chinese painting techniques and my work presents a tree as well as a matching Chinese idiom that bares a strong symbolism, representing that we are all the same and that humankind can only united to reach its full potential," said Lamija Hajrovic, a 21-year old student at the Sinology Department of the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of East Sarajevo.
"I am from Germanic studies but I am very interested in Chinese culture and our growing cooperation with China. I used oil technique to paint an ancient Chinese temple as I find traditional Chinese architecture so unique and charming," Jovana Bozic told Xinhua.
Draga Mastilovic, dean of the Faculty of Philosophy, said that very few people believed in the success of the Sinology Department and the Chinese language program back in 2011, when it was first launched at the University.
"However, it grew to become one of the most popular ones at the University," said Mastilovic, thanking the Chinese Embassy for providing numerous students with the opportunity to spend a part of their study in China.
The Chinese Language Day was established by the United Nations Department of Public Information in 2010, aiming "to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity as well as to promote equal use of all six of its official working languages throughout the organization."
April 20 was chosen as the date "to pay tribute to Cangjie, a mythical figure who is presumed to have invented Chinese characters about 5,000 years ago."