Visit of the Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences

The Rector of the University of Banja Luka, Professor Radoslav Gajanin, PhD, met on 5 June 2025 with a six-member delegation from the Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, led by the Executive Vice-Rector of that university, Professor Ju Jing, PhD.

Rector Gajanin said in a press statement that the two universities already have concrete cooperation and announced a lengthy visit by a delegation from Shanghai to the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Banja Luka in the near future.

“It is expected that the initial delegation will stay for one year, while our students will take part in exchanges with colleagues from Shanghai,” Gajanin said.

He stated that the cooperation agreement includes plans to establish joint study programmes, primarily in the field of health technologies.

“In the foreseeable future, we will certainly work with our colleagues from Shanghai to accredit a joint study programme in this field”, Gajanin added, emphasising that the agreement also envisages the transfer of modern technologies and innovative healthcare solutions from China to the Republic of Srpska.

According to him, healthcare institutions that serve as teaching bases for the Faculty of Medicine in Banja Luka would be able to use the most advanced technological solutions developed at Shanghai University.

Executive Vice-Rector Ju Jing, PhD, stressed that the aim of the visit is to deepen cooperation, particularly in the field of basic medicine.

“Our task is to relay everything we learn during this visit to our government in China, which will then decide on the next steps in our cooperation,” said Ju.

She noted that the cooperation will also focus on clinical care and the exchange of academic and professional staff.

“We also hope to collaborate in the areas of medical engineering and healthcare management,” Ju added, praising the University of Banja Luka for what she described as very good work in educating professional personnel.

The Minister of Health and Social Welfare of the Republic of Srpska, Dr Alen Šeranić, emphasised the importance of transferring health technologies, noting that innovations in this field are advancing rapidly.

He stated that amendments to the Law on Health Care, which will partly address procedures for the adoption of new health technologies in the Republic of Srpska, will soon be presented to the National Assembly.

Dr Šeranić added that China is a key partner in this process and praised the cooperation thus far, which began two years ago with the signing of an agreement between the University of Banja Luka, the Faculty of Medicine, and the Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences.

The Dean of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Banja Luka, Professor Ranko Škrbić, PhD, recalled that cooperation was formalised two years ago and last year resulted in the establishment of the Centre for Technology Transfer in Medicine and Healthcare. He stated that a number of activities are planned with colleagues from Shanghai.

“Starting from 4 July, about fifteen young researchers from the Centre for Biomedical Research at the Faculty of Medicine will travel for a two-week exchange in Shanghai, and in late August and early September, around twenty of their students will come to Banja Luka as part of the same exchange programme,” Škrbić said.

Also attending the meeting at the Rectorate were Vice-Rectors of the University of Banja Luka, Professor Milica Balaban, PhD, and Professor Dalibor Kesić, PhD, Assistant Minister for Higher Education Dr Jelena Starčević, and the Director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Banja Luka, Associate Professor Ljiljana Stević, PhD.

The Chinese delegation also included the deans of three faculties of the Shanghai University:  Professor Zheng Xuewen, PhD, from the Faculty of Medical Engineering; Professor Guo Rongjing, PhD, from the Faculty of Health Care and Management; and Professor Yang Rifang, PhD, from the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences. Other members were the Executive Vice-President of the Union and Senior Lecturer in Clinical Care, Ling Wenhui, and the Head of the Public Relations Department, Li Zhaowei.

 Photo: D. Desnica