On Wednesday, 29th January, 2014, Megatrend University and the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade co-organized the first Chinese New Year Celebration at the Chinese Center. The official celebration was attended by vice-rectors and deans at Megatrend University: PhD Vladan Kutlešić, PhD Žarko Obradović, PhD Ana Jovancai, PhD Živko Kulić, PhD Milivoje Pavlović and PhD Siniša Rankov. After the Chinese and Serbian national anthems were sung by the Chinese Centre students, PhD Vladan Kutlešić, vice-rector adressed the guests, speaking on behalf of the rector, PhD Mića Jovanović, welcoming the representatives of the Chinese Embassy and the diplomatic corps, Chinese and Serbian companies and associations, professors and students. He reminded the present of the exceptional success achieved by the Embassy and the University in the previous year, emphasizing the successful organisation of the First Fair of Chinese Higher Education in Serbia, when fourteen eminent Chinese universities were presented.
Xu Hong, Cultural Affairs Counsellor at the Chinese Embassy also addressed the gathered , wishing everyone a successful new year. The program was moderated in Serbian by the Director of the Chinese Centre at Megatrend University, assistant professor, Katarina Zakić. PhD, while the secretary of the Chinese Centre, PhD Nataša Kostić accompanied her in Chinese. The director of the Chinese Centre, PhD Katarina Zakić pointed out that the Centre has already reached more than fifty advanced students of Chinese. A short film summarising the work and achievements of the Chinese Centre at Megatrend University in 2013 was shown afterwards.
The abundant arts and cultural part of the event featured students who sang and recited in Chinese. Guests had an opportunity to get to know the New Year traditions of the Chinese people, through a short film about the Chinese New Year. The audiences paid special attention to the traditional Chinese fan dance called Flying Kites, performed by the students Iva Jovanović, Jovana Andrejić, Milica Ristić and Jovana Jovović.
Singing the traditional Chinese song, “Gongxi, gongxi“, students of the Chinese Centre wished all their Chinese friends a happy New Year. Vuk Nešić, Nataša Martinović, Nikolina Vrcelj, the teacher Yi Shu and PhD Nataša Kostić sang the song together. Poems by Zhao Lihong and Dragan Dragojlović were recited in Chinese and Serbian by Aleksandra Stojanović, Anđela Vasiljević and Jovana Lončar.
However, the loudest applause was given to the youngest participants, the pupils of the Primary School “Kralј Petar II Karađorđević“, who showed with their Chinese teacher, Vesna Dicić, what they have learned in classes. The members of the choir at the Chinese Centre, Dragana Terzić, Pavle Mijatović, Dragan Pećanac, Branislav Đorđević, Uroš Zarubac, Bojan Šterjoski, Bojan Dizdarević and Nemanja Kizić, had their share in the successful programme, as well as Ljubomir Raičević, our IT student who is learning Chinese and who was in charge of the technical support at the event.
This ceremony featured the photo exhibition The Beautiful China, which shows the Chinese search for a better life. Through the objectives of Chinese photographers, this exhibition emphasises continuous efforts of the Chinese government and people to build up a wealthy and civilised country. The Beautiful China Exhibition can be seen by 15/2 at Megatrend University building, at 29 Bulevar Umetnosti Street.
