On May 23-24, 2026, the "First China Balkan Cultural Exchange Forum" hosted by the National and Regional Research Institute of Capital Normal University will be held in Beijing. The theme of this forum is "Based on mutual learning of civilizations, jointly exploring new paths for Balkan research, and deepening cooperation between China and Balkan countries". Nearly a hundred experts and scholars from more than 40 universities and research institutes in 11 countries including China, Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia, Germany, Slovenia, Austria, and Singapore participated in the forum to jointly explore the mutual learning of civilizations between China and the Balkans, the path and methods of Balkan research, and the multidimensional picture of China's relations with Balkan countries. At the scene, Cao Wenjun, Secretary of the Party Committee of Capital Normal University, first delivered a welcome speech, warmly welcoming the Chinese and foreign guests who came from afar, and emphasizing the importance of deepening regional and country studies and promoting cultural dialogue in the context of the century long changes. Chinese Ambassador to Croatia Qi Qianjin delivered a video speech, and Croatian Ambassador to China Dario Mihelin, Deputy Director of the National Office of Philosophy and Social Sciences Zhao Chuandong, Deputy Director of the International Cooperation and Exchange Department of the Ministry of Education Jia Peng, former Special Representative for China Central and Eastern European Countries Cooperation Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Huo Yuzhen, Deputy Director of the China Foreign Languages Administration Yu Yunquan, Director of the Beijing Municipal Education Commission Li Yi, and others delivered speeches on site. All guests unanimously agree that the Balkan region, as a cultural hub connecting Europe and Asia, has important academic value and practical significance in its research. The holding of this forum is timely and will provide a high-end platform for building a Chinese independent Balkan research knowledge system and promoting in-depth dialogue between Chinese and foreign scholars. After the opening ceremony, the forum entered the keynote speech segment. The first keynote speech was chaired by Professor Liang Zhanjun, Dean of the Institute of Country and Regional Studies at Capital Normal University. Professor Alexandre Kostov, Corresponding Academician of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and President of the International Association for Southeast European Studies (AIESEE), gave a systematic review of the academic history of Balkan studies under the title "The Past, Present, and Future of Balkan Studies: Reflections and Reflections". He also provided a forward-looking exposition on the new issues and methodological challenges faced by this field in the context of globalization and regional integration. Researcher Feng Zhongping, Director of the Institute of European Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, gave a speech on "Several Views on Current China Europe Relations", analyzing in depth the latest developments in China Europe relations and their impact on the Central and Eastern European regions, including the Balkans. Dubravka Stojanovi ć, a professor at the University of Belgrade in Serbia and an expert advisor to the United Nations, explored the possibility and path of transcending nationalist narratives and building a regional shared historical memory under the theme of "Towards a Common History in the Balkans". Professor Ke Jing, Dean of the School of European Languages and Culture at Beijing Foreign Studies University, delivered a speech titled "Academic Mirrors of the Balkan Spirit: An Analysis of the Similarities and Divergence of Zizek and Yipi's Thoughts", revealing the complexity and uniqueness of Balkan knowledge production from the perspective of intellectual history. The second keynote speech was hosted by Professor Shi Baoguo, Director of the Social Sciences Department at Capital Normal University. Cui Hongjian, a professor at the Higher Institute of Regional and Global Governance at Beijing Foreign Studies University, Marie Janine Calic, a professor at the University of Munich in Germany, Yan Shaoxiang, a professor at the History School of Capital Normal University, Josip Mihaljevi, deputy director of the Croatian Institute of History, and Professor Liang Zhanjun, respectively conducted in-depth discussions on topics such as "Geopolitics and Identity: The New Crossroads of the Balkans", "Beyond the Balkans: Some Recent Trends in Historical Writing", "Greek Studies in China", "Between Ethnic Frameworks and Transnational Programs: Contemporary Croatian Historiography and Southeast European Studies", and "Building China's Balkan Studies". Scholars have analyzed the special position and challenges faced by the Balkan region in today's world landscape from multiple perspectives such as history, politics, and international relations, and jointly called for strengthening interdisciplinary and cross-border academic cooperation. On the afternoon of the 23rd and the morning of the 24th, the forum set up five parallel sub forums, covering topics such as "Exchange and mutual learning between Balkan and Eastern and Western civilizations", "History, current situation and prospects of China Balkan relations", "Reality and future of Balkan research", "Century long changes and Balkan's world status", and "Balkan thematic research from the perspective of regional and national perspectives". Nearly 50 Chinese and foreign scholars conducted intensive and in-depth reports and discussions on specific topics such as exchanges during the Cold War, the Belt and Road cooperation, the EU expansion process, the construction of historical memory, nationalism, and cultural industry cooperation in the digital era. The atmosphere of on-site exchanges was warm, and the collision of views was brilliant. At the closing ceremony on the morning of the 24th, foreign guest speaker Professor Alexander Kostov and Chinese guest speaker Professor Liang Zhanjun comprehensively reviewed and highly praised the forum's achievements. They pointed out that this forum is not only a high-level, interdisciplinary academic event in the field of Balkan studies in China, but also an important milestone in cultural exchanges and think tank dialogues between China and Balkan countries. The successful holding of the forum marks that the Chinese academic community's attention to the Balkan region is shifting from national case studies to regional holistic and systematic knowledge construction, and from historical retrospective to practical care that combines historical depth and global perspective. The scholars at the meeting generally believed that deepening Balkan studies has irreplaceable theoretical value and practical significance for understanding the complexity of the European integration process, grasping the geopolitical dynamics of Eurasia, promoting the high-quality development of the "the Belt and Road" and building a community with a shared future for mankind. (Looking into the New Era)