Shandong University Alumni Association of Serbia was established at the China Cultural Center in Belgrade, Serbia recently.

Wang Qilong, executive vice president of SDU, expressed his congratulations on the establishment of the associationin order to spread Chinese stories, carry out the Belt and Road Initiative, and contribute to building a community with a common future for humanity. He believes that SDU graduates in Serbia will take on the responsibility of bridging friendship between China and Serbia.

In a message delivered by Yuan Jigang, the education counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Serbia, he expressed his hope that the launch of the alumni association would provide opportunities for SDU to strengthen its alumni network, so as to compete on a global scale and effectively support local and regional development.

The association's first board of directors was chosen at the opening meeting. The group chose Wang Yanliang, the director of the China Cultural Center in Belgrade and 2010 graduate of SDU's School of Political Science and Public Administration, to serve as its first president.

As SDU’s first alumni association in Serbia, the association will contribute to SDU's integration into the Belt and Road Initiative, and incubate the SDU alumni brand to boost mutual development, Wang Yanliang said.

The founding meeting was held both online and onsite in China and Serbia, attracting nearly 30 alumni from countries such as Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Members of the Shandong University Alumni Association of Serbia celebrate the association's establishment at the China Cultural Center in Belgrade, Serbia on Aug 6. [Photo/sdu.edu.cn]