By Zhang Xuan, Nemanja Cabric
BELGRADE, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Holding a virtual reality (VR) controller, a Serbian student conducts a chemistry experiment in an immersive digital laboratory. Elsewhere, students explore marine life through VR headsets, examine 3D images of human organs on interactive screens and interact with an intelligent robot capable of speaking more than 100 languages.
At the Center for Robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Education in Belgrade, Serbia, AI, VR and other technologies have become part of classroom learning, turning the vision of technology-enabled education into interactive learning experiences.
Established in 2020 with support from Chinese partners, including NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited and Beijing Normal University, the center is dedicated to integrating technology with education. It has trained thousands of teachers and become an important platform for China-Serbia cooperation in technology-enabled education.
Danimir Mandic, director of the center and dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of Belgrade, recalled that a team of Chinese experts spent three months in 2020 integrating advanced technologies into the center's 1,000-square-meter facility.
"The buzz around AI started about 10 years ago. Even then, I firmly believed that we needed to introduce technology and smart systems into the classroom," Mandic said. The result, he recalled, was a center that felt like stepping into a "spacecraft."
Six years on, the technologies showcased at the center have gradually found their way into classrooms through teachers trained there.
Gordana Miscevic, a professor at the Faculty of Education, has been involved with the center since its inception, training teachers from different schools and disciplines.
"Over the past six years, I have witnessed very positive changes brought about by the integration of technology into education," Miscevic said, noting that technology can make lessons more engaging and improve teaching outcomes.
For Sofija Matovic, a researcher and doctoral student, the impact is also evident in feedback from teachers who have participated in the center's training programs.
"We run 'Digital World' workshops to help primary school teachers use educational robots and improve their digital literacy," Matovic said. "Many teachers report a significant increase in student motivation after using these tools in class. That is the best feedback we could ask for, showing that the direction we are exploring is the right one."
For Mandic, the cooperation also points to broader possibilities for the future of education.
"I have visited China and seen the maturity of its education system firsthand," Mandic said. "I look forward to bringing more advanced experiences and technologies to Serbia, helping advance lifelong learning and further bridge education and employment."
Hu Zhiyu, first secretary in charge of science and technology cooperation at the Chinese Embassy in Serbia, said the center exemplifies how China-Serbia cooperation in science and technology is delivering tangible benefits.
Looking ahead, Hu said China and Serbia will continue to deepen cooperation in AI and robotics, expand AI applications into more fields and inject new impetus into the building of a China-Serbia community with a shared future.
The growing cooperation extends beyond education. At the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in China, Nenad Popovic, Serbia's minister without portfolio for international economic cooperation, said Serbia, as a founding member of the World AI Cooperation Organization, is committed to promoting inclusive AI development and contributing to global AI governance.
Stronger cooperation between China and Serbia would create greater opportunities for mutual development and prosperity, Popovic said. ■