Delegates from the University of Zagreb and leaders of the Beijing Institute of Technology pose for a group photo.

A delegation from the University of Zagreb in Croatia visited Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT) on April 15.

Wei Yiming, BIT's vice-president, warmly welcomed the delegates on their first visit.

Wei introduced to the guests about the high-quality development that BIT has achieved in recent years in talent cultivation, scientific research, team building and open education. He also expressed appreciation for the achievements of the University of Zagreb in research innovation and building discipline, and said he hoped that the two universities could further promote practical cooperation in areas such as student exchanges, faculty visits, joint applications for international research cooperation projects and cutting-edge interdisciplinary research based on the characteristic disciplines and resource advantages in mechanical engineering, chemical engineering and computer science.

Tomislav Josip Milinarić, vice-president in charge of innovation, technology transfer, and economic cooperation at the University of Zagreb, expressed his sincere gratitude for the warm reception at BIT and highly praised the development achievements the university has made in recent years.

In addition to introducing the development history, educational characteristics, and research cooperation of the University of Zagreb, he mentioned that scholars from both universities have already engaged in academic exchanges in the fields of computer science and technology governance and he expressed his hope of expanding cooperation in areas such as mechanical engineering, materials science and artificial intelligence in the future. He also said that he hoped this visit could serve as an opportunity to promote cooperation between the two universities in student exchanges, academic visits by faculty members and collaborative research and innovation in the field of science and technology.

During the meeting, representatives from both sides engaged in discussions on the development characteristics of fields such as chemical engineering, machinery, materials, cultivation of international talent, cooperation in scientific research and faculty-student exchanges. The delegation also visited the National Engineering Research Center for Electric Vehicles at BIT.

The University of Zagreb, located in Croatian capital, was founded in 1669. It is the oldest and largest university in Southeastern Europe and has approximately 70,000 students and over 7,500 staff members. Its key disciplines include marine engineering, agriculture and forestry, petroleum engineering, environmental science, life sciences and medicine. According to the 2025 QS world university rankings, the university is ranked first in the country.