CUHK
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The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK-Shenzhen) and the Shenzhen Municipal Government have signalled their intention to further collaborations on education, research and technology transfer through the signing of a tripartite supplementary agreement at a special ceremony held in the afternoon on 22 February 2023 at the Government Headquarters of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). The ceremony was witnessed by Mr Chan Kwok-ki, GBS, IDSM, JP, Chief Secretary for Administration of the HKSAR government, Mr Qin Weizhong, Mayor of the Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, JP, Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration of the HKSAR government and Mr Zeng Bai, Member of the Standing Committee of the Shenzhen Municipal Committee.

The agreement spells out greater support from the Shenzhen Municipal Government for CUHK and CUHK-Shenzhen to further capitalise on their competitive advantages to deepen collaborations and contribute meaningfully to the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA), while paving the way for strengthening its partnership with the HKSAR government to promote talent interflow and sharing of research outcomes and resources.

The agreement will see CUHK-Shenzhen’s continuous expansion in student enrolment and improvement in the quality of teaching and learning riding on its compelling capabilities, with a particular focus on enlarging the scale of masters and post-doctoral fellowship programmes, promoting academic development and exploring multiple channels for institutional financing. The Shenzhen Municipal Government will also allocate new land for CUHK-Shenzhen to expand its campus.

As the first university in Hong Kong to establish a comprehensive presence in the GBA, CUHK has been actively involved in the development of education and research and innovation in Shenzhen. CUHK-Shenzhen has achieved remarkable results since its founding in 2014, with notable contributions to the national development widely acclaimed by the Ministry of Education, the People’s Government of Guangdong Province, as well as the HKSAR government, asserting itself as the most successful institution set up by a Hong Kong university in the GBA and on the mainland.

The two campuses have pledged to strengthen their collaborations on the research on artificial intelligence, microelectronics, robotics and other disciplines to address the social and economic needs of the GBA. With the support of the Shenzhen Municipal Government, they will jointly build a School of Public Policy and a School of Microelectronics, and strive for mutual growth of their medical schools and hospitals so as to promote the exchange of educational and scientific research resources.

The Shenzhen Municipal Government staunchly supports the two campuses to give full play to their own advantages and participate actively in the important development projects of the GBA, including the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone, the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone, and the Universiade Shenzhen-Hong Kong International Science and Education City. The construction of a university science and technology park in Shenzhen will foster the integration between industry and education and allow CUHK to contribute powerfully to the national strategies on education, innovation and talent cultivation while the co-establishment of National Key Laboratories and other major scientific research platforms will turbocharge the GBA’s growth as an international technology and innovation hub.

Professor Rocky S. Tuan, Vice-Chancellor and President, CUHK, and Chair of Governing Board, CUHK-Shenzhen, expressed his sincere gratitude to the Shenzhen Municipal Government for supporting CUHK’s education and research development in the GBA. He said: “CUHK-Shenzhen has made remarkable achievements in the past ten years. It is a powerful example of CUHK’s successful education model and a testimony of our country’s progress in terms of internationalisation and innovation of the higher education sector. Meanwhile, as the scientific engine room for the GBA, CUHK provides a world-class research ecosystem connecting the Region to a network of global expertise essential for industrial transformation, creating job opportunities and realising the benefits of economic integration across the Pearl River Delta. With the tremendous support from the Shenzhen Municipal Government, CUHK and CUHK-Shenzhen shall work more closely to seize the historic opportunities presented by the rapid development of our country and align our goals to critical national strategies, such as the 14^th Five-Year Plan, the GBA blueprint and the Belt and Road Initiative, to fully integrate into the national development. Both institutions are eager to bring our collaborations on talent cultivation, research and innovation and other disciplines to the next level and continue to create greater impact of the CUHK brand on the world as we consolidate our position as a world-class research-oriented comprehensive university with a global vision so proud of our strong connections to the mainland.”

Mr Chan Kwok-ki, GBS, IDSM, JP, Chief Secretary for Administration of the HKSAR government, said: “The agreement will enable CUHK, a comprehensive research university known internationally as a cradle of talents, to deepen its cooperation with the Shenzhen Municipal Government and CUHK-Shenzhen to strive for a better tomorrow. I believe this meaningful partnership will contribute broadly to the prosperity of Hong Kong, the GBA and our country by bringing in more talents.”

Also attending the agreement signing ceremony was Mr Qin Weizhong, Mayor of the Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government, who led a delegation to visit CUHK on 21 February 2023. The Shenzhen delegation had extensive exchanges with Professor Rocky Tuan, Vice-Chancellor and President of CUHK, Professor Alan KL Chan, Provost of CUHK and other CUHK representatives on furthering cross-border cooperation in the aspects of education, translation of scientific research outcomes and innovation. They also visited CUHK’s Multi-Scale Medical Robotics Center located at the Hong Kong Science Park and the Electrochemical Energy and Interfaces Laboratory at the Faculty of Engineering. Mr Qin expressed his gratitude to CUHK for its long-term commitment to Shenzhen’s development. He said: “CUHK and Shenzhen have established a close relationship, with the success of CUHK-Shenzhen being the strongest evidence. With the continuous growth of the GBA, this agreement has deepened the multi-faceted cooperation among the three parties. The Shenzhen Municipal Government will render the upcoming co-development projects its full support and work closely with CUHK and CUHK-Shenzhen to strengthen the country through education.”

Quote from Ms Zheng Xiuyu, Party Secretary of Education Bureau of the Shenzhen Municipality: “The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is a crucial part of the country’s blueprint for a brighter future, and Shenzhen shoulders a major responsibility to foster closer collaborations with Hong Kong so that both sides of the border can play to our complementary strengths. CUHK and CUHK-Shenzhen have made significant contributions to the development of Shenzhen as courageous pioneers to bring in talents, advance innovation, facilitate international partnerships and engage in community services. They have set a high benchmark for successful Shenzhen-Hong Kong cooperation and the development of the GBA. I look forward to seeing both institutions scale new heights.”

Quote from Professor Xu Yangsheng, President, CUHK-Shenzhen: “In the spirit of ‘One Brand, Two Campuses’, CUHK-Shenzhen is proud of its remarkable results in talent recruitment and cultivation, academic and college development, and scientific research and innovation achieved in its nine years of history with the great support and trust of the Shenzhen Municipal Government and CUHK. CUHK-Shenzhen is accelerating its growth into a first-class China-based research university with a global vision. We hope to contribute strongly to the reform and innovation of the country’s higher education and the integrated development of the GBA.”

CUHK attaches great importance to establishing close linkages with the mainland and promoting diversified cooperation. The University aspires to capitalise on Hong Kong’s unique advantages to contribute extensively to the GBA and actively integrate into the national development. In this academic year, CUHK and CUHK-Shenzhen have jointly introduced a first-of-its-kind collaborative double major programme that will span both campuses. Students will pursue a programme in Interdisciplinary Data Analytics and another major from among specific academic disciplines offered by either CUHK or CUHK-Shenzhen. The dual-location programme will provide a cross-border learning experience as well as internship opportunities to students, which will be particularly advantageous for those who are interested in pursuing a career in the GBA. The curricula offered by the two campuses can complement each other and enhance students’ learning effectiveness.