October 21 marked the successful conclusion of BUCEA’s Faculty and Student Exchange Program with the University of Novi Sad, Serbia.

At the opening ceremony of the six-day exchange program, ZHANG Dayu, President of BUCEA, presented a flag to the visiting team, marking the official start of the program.

During the program, participants from the University of Novi Sad engaged in various learning activities focused on traditional Chinese culture and explored key BUCEA facilities, including the Multi-functional Shaking Tables Matrix Laboratory and Rainwater Laboratory. The group also gained insight into Beijing’s architectural heritage and modern infrastructure technologies.

Furthermore, faculty members from the University of Novi Sad engaged in in-depth discussions with BUCEA professors from the School of Mechanical-Electronic & Vehicle Engineering and School of Civil and Transportation Engineering, exploring potential research collaborations.

At the closing ceremony on BUCEA’s Daxing Campus, ZHAO Xi, Deputy Director of the Department of International Exchanges and Cooperation, and Marko Vilotić, Associate Professor and head of the visiting delegation, awarded certificates of completion to the participating students. The students noted that the exchange deepened their understanding of China and BUCEA, with hopes to return for further studies.

BUCEA and the University of Novi Sad share a strong foundation for cooperation. In 2023, the two universities signed the Letter of Intent on the Beijing International Innovation Center for Architectural Heritage Protection and Development in the Belt and Road Region (the “Innovation Center”) at the thematic forum on sub-national cooperation of the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. In June 2024, President ZHANG led a delegation to Serbia, visiting the Ministry of Science and Technological Development and Innovation, the University of Novi Sad, and other institutions to advance discussions on the Innovation Center, international talent development, and industry-university-research integration. Looking ahead, the two universities will continue to strengthen collaboration in faculty and student exchanges, architectural heritage conservation, sustainable development and conservation of historic cities, and high-level talent development.