Summary

China’s Ministry of Education has approved plans for the establishment of a new transnational university campus in Guangzhou. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Guangzhou (HKUST GZ) will be China’s 10th joint institute with independent legal entity, with the local partner being Guangzhou University. 

The current approval is only for the initial phase of the project, allowing the partners to start preparing the joint university. Approval to recruit students should be applied for within three years.

The curriculum at the new HKUST campus will be designed around transdisciplinary programmes focusing on emerging fields such as artificial intelligence and data science. The new institution will initially recruit postgraduate students only.

Analysis by Kevin Prest, Senior Analyst, British Council International Education Services

Chinese law treats universities from Hong Kong as equivalent to overseas institutions, meaning that the university needs a local partner to establish its campus in China. However, press releases and news reports, as well as the new university’s name, suggest that HKUST will play the dominant role in the partnership.

Joint universities are the deepest level of transnational education cooperation in China and need approval at the highest levels. HKUST Guangzhou’s approval is likely related to the Greater Bay Area development plan, which aims to integrate the economies of Hong Kong and Macao with nearby mainland cities including Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Policies announced in February 2019 will provide support for partnerships between HEIs from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, including joint education institutions, joint academic programmes, and joint laboratories and research centres, as well as encouraging young people from Hong Kong and Macao to study in Mainland China.

Given the importance of the Greater Bay Area to Chinese policy the approval of HKUST Guangzhou does not necessarily indicate strong prospects for a similar UK institution in China.

Sources:

1. https://www.ust.hk/zh-hans/news/greater-bay-development/hkust-gz-approved-state-ministry-education

2. http://www.gov.cn/xinwen/2018-12/21/content_5350905.htm