At the invitation of Shandong University, Dr Ivona Lađevac, Senior Research Associate at the Institute of International Politics and Economics, visited Qingdao, People’s Republic of China, from 12 to 19 July 2026, where she delivered a series of invited lectures as part of the University’s summer education programme.
The lectures formed an integral part of the course “The Position and Role of the People’s Republic of China in Contemporary International Relations”. In addition to China’s foreign policy, they addressed the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, with a particular focus on the Western Balkans, and especially Serbia, as well as the four global initiatives proposed by the People’s Republic of China in the fields of development, security, inter-civilisational dialogue and global governance.
The course brought together students from different levels of study and a wide range of academic disciplines. In addition to undergraduate and postgraduate students of political science, the participants included students of international law, public administration, computer science, biology and artificial intelligence. This diverse academic background contributed to the interdisciplinary character of the course and enabled the participants to examine China’s position in the contemporary world from different scholarly and professional perspectives.
On the final day of the course, an interactive exercise was organised in the form of a simulation of a meeting convened by the Secretary-General of the United Nations and devoted to contemporary global challenges and the future development of international relations. Representing the United States, the People’s Republic of China, the European Union, the United Nations and the Western Balkans, the students presented their assessments of the current global situation, the positions and interests of the actors they represented, and proposals for addressing key political, economic, developmental and security challenges.
During the lectures and discussions with colleagues from Shandong University, Dr Lađevac presented the foreign policy position of the Republic of Serbia, the development of the Serbia–China comprehensive strategic partnership, and the research and international activities of the Institute of International Politics and Economics. Particular attention was devoted to opportunities for further strengthening academic cooperation and exchanges of researchers and students.
