Summary

In December 2020, the Chinese Ministry of Education and the government of Guangdong province released a ‘Development Plan to Promote Higher Education Collaboration in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area’.

The Plan sets out the government’s intentions for the Greater Bay Area to serve as a pilot zone for institutional reforms, and to strengthen collaboration in international higher education.

The aims described in the Plan include:

• Reform of education systems, exploring a “School+” running model which involves greater connections with industry
• Establishment of a joint development system for talent training
• Promotion of collaborative innovation in scientific research, including the construction of an international science and technology innovation centre
• Increase focus on high-level introduction of talent, teaching resources and academic exchanges
• Highlight mutual learning, building a hub for international collaboration in higher education

The new plan aims to increase student mobility and exchange of resources between mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, providing a channel to share best practices and complement each region’s strengths. There are currently over 16,200 Hong Kong students studying in mainland China, with 8,000 of these in Guangdong province. The Ministry of Education therefore also encourages mainland Chinese universities to collaborate with Hong Kong higher education institutions, through running joint institutions or programmes that serve national strategic needs.

The Plan proposes that by 2035, the Greater Bay Area should have developed quality education resources, built a number of world-class higher education institutions and generated high-impact scientific research outcomes.

Analysis by Kevin Prest, Senior Analyst, International Education Services

The Greater Bay Area plan is not limited to education but is an important part of China’s broader strategy to increase the level of integration between Mainland China and the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau.

Partnerships between universities in the Mainland and the SARs are strongly supported by the central government and are likely to grow in numbers and scale over the coming years, with partnerships linking Hong Kong / Macau with neighbouring Guangdong province having particularly strong support under the Greater Bay Area plan. These partnerships will include joint research, staff and student exchange, and joint teaching models including the establishment of branch campuses of Hong Kong universities in Guangdong.

Sources:

http://www.moe.gov.cn/jyb_xwfb/s5147/202012/t20201210_504575.html

http://www.gd.gov.cn/zwgk/zcjd/snzcsd/content/post_3145724.html

http://www.xinhuanet.com/politics/2019-03/21/c_1210088032.htm