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With the staunch support of the Shenzhen Municipal Government, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) signed a Collaboration Agreement in Shenzhen today (4 July) with Shenzhen University to establish The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen), marking an important milestone in the University's venture to offer education in Shenzhen.  The plan represents a historical step in CUHK's development in mainland China, and promises to have a profound impact on the training of top talents and on technology innovation in Shenzhen and the Pearl River Delta (PRD), the long-term prosperity of Hong Kong, as well as educational reform in China.  The agreement was signed by Prof. Joseph J.Y. Sung, Vice-Chancellor and President of CUHK, and Prof. Zhang Bigong, President of Shenzhen University.  The signing was witnessed by Dr. Vincent H.C. Cheng, Chairman of the Council, CUHK; Mr Luo Weiqi, Director-General of Department of Education of Guangdong Province; and Ms Wu Yihuan, Vice-Mayor of the Shenzhen Municipal Government. 

Dr. Vincent H.C. Cheng, Chairman of the University Council, thanked the Shenzhen Municipal Government and Shenzhen University for their full support and collaboration.  He remarked at the signing ceremony, ‘The establishment of a CUHK Shenzhen campus will nurture talents who are international in outlook, learned in their subjects, moral in character, and innovative in thinking, and aims at exploring a new direction for the higher education reform in China.  It capitalizes on the strengths of Hong Kong and Guangdong Province through collaboration in the areas of education, technology and culture to promote long-term integrated development of the PRD region. CUHK (SZ) will inherit the academic excellence of CUHK to become a preferred research university located in Shenzhen, firmly rooted in China, and endowed with a global vision.' 

According to the Collaboration Agreement signed today, CUHK will be responsible for daily management, teaching and research, and faculty recruitment, making reference to the educational and operational principles of its Shatin campus, and ensuring that the quality is on a par with that in Hong Kong; Shenzhen University will be responsible for liaising with Shenzhen Municipal Government in relation to matters concerning the campus site and infrastructure. 

The campus of CUHK (SZ) will be located to the south of Dayun Park in Longgang District, and will have an area of around 1 million square metres (100 hectares), within which half is buildable area.  CUHK (SZ) will be constructed in two phases, with an ultimate student population of around 11,000. CUHK (SZ) will recruit the best students.  Undergraduate students will be admitted through the National Colleges and Universities Enrolment System as well as independent recruitment, on a selective basis.  Admission criteria for postgraduate students will be modeled on current CUHK practice, which considers applicants' academic and research performance.  The Senate of CUHK will be responsible for the approval and monitoring of programmes offered by CUHK (SZ). 

Instruction will be bilingual (Chinese and English), and emphasis will be placed on innovative and inter-disciplinary subjects.  In the early stage, CUHK (SZ) will first launch programmes in science, engineering, economics and management, in particular including subjects such as information engineering, energy engineering, advanced manufacturing, environmental science and engineering, biological science, material science, financial services, business administration and economics. 

The governing body of CUHK (SZ) will be its Executive Board (理事會), to be chaired by the Vice-Chancellor and President of CUHK and to comprise eight members each nominated by CUHK and Shenzhen University.  The Chairman will have a casting vote.  The management structure will be different from that of most mainland universities: the President of CUHK (SZ) will be responsible for the management, under the leadership of the Executive Board.  The University will uphold academic freedom, foster an open academic environment and will be managed along modern and democratic principles. 

Throughout the deliberations on establishing CUHK (SZ), CUHK has adhered to the following principles: CUHK (SZ) must ensure that the quality of teaching and learning is on a par with that at CUHK; the Shenzhen campus must enjoy academic freedom; and the set-up and operation of the Shenzhen campus must be financed independently, with no cross-subsidy from the Shatin campus.  Consensus with the Shenzhen authorities has been reached on these principles, which were clearly spelt out in the Framework Agreement signed in March and forms the basis for the Agreement signed today, and for the planning and implementation going forward.  The Shenzhen Municipal Government has agreed to provide the piece of land for the campus of CUHK (SZ) free of charge; it will also be responsible for the provision of the campus facilities and campus construction, and will provide a subsidy according to the number of students.  It is expected that a detailed agreement on implementation plans will be reached and signed in one year’s time. 

CUHK formed a Task Force in October 2009 to explore the feasibility of establishing a campus in Shenzhen.  A Memorandum of Understanding was signed with the Shenzhen Municipal Government in February 2010, and a Framework Agreement was signed in March this year.  On many occasions the University has engaged its staff, students, alumni and academic faculties for consultation and exchange of information, to report on progress and to gather views.  Responses have been enthusiastic.  In future, CUHK will continue to collect views to refine the establishment plan.