On February 6, Branko Balon , chairman of the Croatia-China Friendship Association and professor of Computer Science at ALGEBRA University in Zagreb, Croatia, arrived at Nishan World Center for Confucian Studies (Secretariat of China Confucius Foundation) as the first visiting scholar of the "Qilu Visiting Research Program" to carry out his research.

Balon expressed his honor to visit Shandong as a visiting scholar under the "Qilu Visiting Research Program." Shandong is renowned for its rich cultural heritage both at home and abroad. Helooked forward to this 20-day residency, which will deepen his understanding of Chinese culture and Qilu culture. He believed that he will surely experience more surprising Chinese culture charm here.

This academic visit and research activity will see Balon conducting exchanges in Jinan, Qufu, and other places. He will engage in discussions at renowned institutions such as Shandong University, China Confucius Research Institute, Confucius Museum, and the Mencius Research Institute. Balon will also visit historical sites like the Kong Family Mansion, the Temple of Confucius, the Meng Family Mansion, the Temple of Mencius, the Temple of Duke Zhou, and the Yan Family Temple, to experience the beauty of QiLu culture up close and appreciate the contemporary brilliance of China's excellent traditional culture in Shandong through creative transformation and innovative development.

Jointly initiated by Nishan WorldCenter for ConfucianStudies,ChinaConfucius Foundation and Shandong University,the "Qilu Visiting Research Program" is an important measure to build a bridge of international cultural exchange and cooperation based on Shandong's advantages in the enrichment of Confucian cultural resources.Internationally renowned sinologists will be invited to conduct research in Shandong, focusing on the inheritance and development of classical civilization, carry out academic cooperation with universities and think tanks at home and abroad, and jointly produce high-quality academic achievements that reflect ancient and modern times and integrate Chinese and foreign cultures.