Interview: Cooperation between universities boosts understanding of China, says Croatian educator_Cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries

Interview: Cooperation between universities boosts understanding of China, says Croatian educator

Xinhua

2023/06/28

Mato Njavro (L), dean of Zagreb School of Economics and Management, shakes hands with Bai Chongen, dean of School of Economics and Management at Tsinghua University, after they signed a cooperation agreement in Zagreb, Croatia, June 20, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Xuejun)

ZAGREB, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Europe needs to have a better understanding of China, a Croatian educator has said in the wake of a cooperation agreement signed between the Zagreb School of Economics and Management (ZSEM) and China's Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management.

The agreement was signed at the ZSEM campus in the Croatian capital last week.

"Europeans sometimes tend to be a little bit too Eurocentric, so all of our public education here is very much focused on Europe, and maybe also the United States," Mato Njavro, dean of the ZSEM, said in a recent interview with Xinhua.

The agreement is "the culmination of all our efforts to build better relations between Croatia and China," he said.

Under the agreement, starting from next semester students from the two higher education institutions will be able to spend either one semester or one year studying at the other establishment.

The agreement also outlines a framework for bilateral academic exchanges and joint research programs.

"It is a unique opportunity for us and we value it very much. Tsinghua University (...) is one of the best, if not the best university in China," Njavro said.

He said he hoped that more Chinese students coming to study in Croatia would help bring a better understanding of China, as well as improve relations between the two countries.

Besides Tsinghua University, ZSEM has inked cooperation agreements with seven other Chinese universities, including Zhejiang University and Shandong University. This bodes well for cooperation between Croatia and China, Njavro said, underlining that the two countries have enjoyed friendly relations since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1992.

Founded in 2002, ZSEM is one of the leading business schools in Croatia, and has established partnerships with over 150 universities in 60 countries around the world.