The Open University of Hong Kong (OUHK) officially signed collaboration agreements on April 22nd with the Zhaoqing Municipal Government and Zhaoqing University to establish the Open University of Hong Kong (Zhaoqing). The signing ceremony took place via video link.

The signing ceremony took place via video link. (Photo: Xijiang Daily)

According to the outline development plan, it is to support higher education institutions from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao in jointly operating educational institutions, and encourage the joint development of academic programs, laboratories and research centers.

Therefore, OUHK (ZQ) will be developed into a top application-oriented university for the development of the GBA. It will be a milestone of the cooperation in technologyical innovation and social economic development for Zhaoqing and the GBA.

Lv Yuyin, mayor or Zhaoqing, Wu Yechun, president of Zhaoqing University, signed the agreements with Huang Yushan, president of the OUHK to establish the new campus.

“Since the start of the development of the GBA, Guangdong has actively promoted cooperative development in the public sphere, like education. Cooperation in higher education is being enhanced between Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao”, said Cao Dahua, executive deputy director-general of the Office of the Leading Group for the Construction of the GBA, and deputy director-general of the Guangdong Provincial Development and Reform Commission.

Cao Dahua (M) attends the signing ceremony. (Photo: Xijiang Daily)

It has taken only a year to start the establishment of the OUHK (ZQ). The university will focus on training high quality talent with innovative and practical abilities, which will enable it to attract more quality educators from Hong Kong. It is also a move to help higher education in Guangdong to go global.

Accordingly, the OUHK (ZQ) would further leverage strengths of both sides, especially in emerging disciplines and interdisciplinary learning in order to push forward the curriculum and teaching reform across the country.

Introduction of the OUHK (ZQ):

Located in the Zhaoqing New Area, OUHK (ZQ) will occupy an area of 2,500 acres in which 500 acres are set aside for construction use.

Students will be admitted in phases with the expectation of enrolling 4,000 students over the initial four years and gradually grow that figure to 10,000 students in total.

The design sketch of OUHK (ZQ) (Photo: Zhaoqing New District)

OUHK (ZQ) will adopt English as the teaching medium for major professional programs. It will first open 5 schools, i.e. Schools of Innovation and Business, Innovation and Media, Technology, Language, Humanity and Social Science. A school of Nursing and Health will be built in the future.

It takes only 10 minutes by car from Zhaoqingdong Railway Station to the uni and you can be in Guangzhou in 36 minutes, Shenzhen in an hour and it is just 80 minutes to West Kowloon, Hong Kong. The campus is a 45 minute car ride to Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport and just 20 minutes to Guangzhou new airport.

Authors: Will & Zero

Editor: Simon