Since the establishment of the BRI Initiative and the Confucius institutes that are promoting the Chinese language, culture and different educational based collaborations, the Macedonian education market welcomed the first ever Confucius institute back in 2013 under a decision that was adopted by the University Senate in accordance with the signed Agreement between Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje and the Confucius Institute Headquarters (Hanban), in cooperation with the Southwestern University of Finance and Economics from Chengdu, People’s Republic of China.
Currently the Institute is located on the first floor at the National and University Library “Ss. Clement of Ohrid” in the capital city of the country, Skopje.
The Institute during its 12 years of existence has accomplished some significant results. The institute has been a core of promoting the cultures of the two friendly countries. The offers that are included into that promotion are: Free courses on learning the Chinese language, calligraphy, traditional dances, martial arts, Chinese opera, Chinese painting, HSK exams (language proficiency exams).
At the beginning the Institute was present only around the capital city, today; it has his own presence in multiple municipalities around the country, such as Prilep, Bitola, Kicevo, Resen etc. The institute has actively been promoting the courses and furthering down the cooperation between the schools and the universities. These days, the Chinese painting classes and the courses of learning the language were presented not only to fans that have passion on learning the culture and the language by their own initiative but also to multiple schools, starting from kindergartens, primary schools even in high schools. The children have shown a tremendous interest into getting to know more about China. Also a lot of successful exhibitions were held around the country.
In October 2017, the 3rd China CEE Conference was held in Ohrid, on the theme “The role of human capital in the One Belt One Road initiative”. The conference was organized by University “Ss.Cyril and Methodius” in Skopje; Confucius Institute in Skopje; Faculty of Economics – Skopje; Institute of Economics – Skopje; University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Economics (Slovenia). The conference was supported by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Institute for European Studies in Beijing.
In April 2018, the Institute of Economics – Skopje started cooperation with the Southwestern University of Finance and Economics at the School of Securities and Futures, Republic of China. Since June 2018, the Dean of the Faculty of the School of Securities and Futures, Republic of China, is a member of the editorial board of the International Journal of the Institute of Economics – Skopje (Economic Development). Under the friendly cooperation that the universities have on high levels, many scholarship options every year are been given to Macedonian students that want to continue their studies in China.
In a conclusion, the establishment of the Confucius institute in Macedonia was a move that made some progress in the relationship between the two countries. Until this day, it still fulfills its duty as an Institute that promotes a peaceful collaboration, learning options, and way how to strength and even deepen the cooperation. Although there was an initiative from the Chinese embassy and the Institute itself on doing a promotion of the country as potential new land of Chinese investments, still there is a space here that can allow a business and economic deals between the PR of China and Macedonia.
Sole author: Researcher Bojana Jovanovska
马其顿斯科普里圣西里尔和美多迪乌斯大学孔子学院的作用
自“一带一路”倡议成立以来，马其顿教育市场根据西里尔圣西里尔大学与斯科普里孔子学院总部（国家汉办）签署的协议，于 2013 年迎来了有史以来第一所孔子学院， 与中华人民共和国成都的西南财经大学合作。
目前，该研究所位于该国首都斯科普里的国立和大学图书馆“Ss. Clement of Ohrid”的一楼。
该研究所在其成立的 12 年中取得了一些重大成果。该研究所一直是促进两个友好国家文化的核心。该促销活动中包含的优惠包括：免费汉语学习课程、书法、传统舞蹈、武术、中国戏曲、中国画、HSK考试（语言能力考试）。
起初，研究所只在首都附近存在，今天;它在全国多个城市都有自己的业务，例如 Prilep、Bitola、Kicevo、Resen 等。该研究所一直在积极推广课程，并进一步加强学校和大学之间的合作。如今，中国画课和学习语言的课程不仅面向热衷于主动学习文化和语言的爱好者，还面向多所学校，从幼儿园、小学甚至高中开始。孩子们对更多地了解中国表现出了极大的兴趣。此外，全国各地还举办了许多成功的展览。
2017 年 10 月，第三届中国中东欧会议在奥赫里德举行，主题为“人力资本在’一带一路’倡议中的作用”。会议由斯科普里的 “Ss.Cyril and Methodius” 大学组织;斯科普里孔子学院;经济学院 – 斯科普里;斯科普里经济研究所;卢布尔雅那大学经济学院（斯洛文尼亚）。本次会议得到了中国社会科学院北京欧洲研究所的支持。
2018 年 4 月，斯科普里经济研究所与中华民国西南财经大学证券与期货学院开始合作。自 2018 年 6 月起，中华民国证券与期货学院院长担任斯科普里经济研究所国际期刊（经济发展）的编委会成员。在大学高水平的友好合作下，每年都会为希望在中国继续深造的马其顿学生提供许多奖学金。
总之，在马其顿建立孔子学院是两国关系取得一些进展的举措。直到今天，它仍然履行着作为促进和平合作、学习选择以及如何加强甚至深化合作的研究所的职责。尽管中国大使馆和研究所本身发起了一项倡议，旨在将该国推广为中国投资的潜在新土地，但这里仍然有一个空间可以允许中国和马其顿之间的商业和经济交易。
唯一作者： Bojana Jovanovska研究生