Recently, the City University of Hong Kong (Dongguan) has been approved for establishment. With this, the total number of collaborative universities in Guangdong has reached six. Among them, there are four Chinese mainland-Hong Kong collaborative universities and two Sino-foreign collaborative universities, making Guangdong a leading region for fostering educational partnerships. What factors contribute to Guangdong's role as fertile ground for collaborative education, and what transformations will these collaborative universities bring to the Greater Bay Area?
Currently, there are four major bay areas in the world: the New York Bay Area, the San Francisco Bay Area, the Tokyo Bay Area, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Compared to the other three established bay areas, the emerging Greater Bay Area ranks at the forefront in terms of area, population, population density, and GDP.
The development of the Greater Bay Area relies heavily on high-quality and talented individuals. Before the influx of Hong Kong universities, Guangdong already boasted prestigious educational institutions like Sun Yat-sen University, South China University of Technology, and Jinan University. However, it's evident that these institutions alone cannot meet the talent demand of the GBA. On the other hand, Hong Kong boasts world-renowned universities such as the University of Hong Kong, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and the City University of Hong Kong. Additionally, Macao has quality institutions like the University of Macao and the Macao University of Science and Technology. Therefore, it's natural that there would be a necessity for cooperation and exchange in higher education among the three provincial-level administrative regions of the GBA.
In 2023, the GBA's economic output surpassed 14 trillion yuan, with Guangdong witnessing a net increase of 1.728 million business entities, reaching a total of 18 million. Among these, individual businesses saw a net increase of 1.11 million, exceeding 10 million in total, while enterprises totaled 7.8 million, constituting one-seventh of the national total. With a population exceeding 150 million, Guangdong welcomed 777 million tourists last year, generating tourism revenue exceeding 950 billion yuan, ranking first nationwide.
The abundant population and thriving businesses of Guangdong provide Hong Kong with a vast hinterland for its universities. To attain a significant position on the global stage of higher education, Hong Kong universities must venture northward.
The newly established City University of Hong Kong (Dongguan) is strategically located in the Songshan Lake Science City, the pioneering area of the comprehensive national science center of the GBA. This area boasts a concentration of major scientific facilities, Guangdong provincial laboratories, and leading technology enterprises, offering high-end innovative resources.
From the establishment of a Hong Kong campus by Shenzhen University earlier this year to the plans of Sun Yat-sen University to set up a higher research institute in Hong Kong, Chinese mainland universities are expressing their aspirations to nurture international talents. Likewise, Hong Kong demonstrates its eagerness to attract quality talent.
Among the world's four major bay areas, the GBA stands out for its uniqueness: one country, two systems, and three customs territories, setting a global precedent. Encouragingly, we observe Hong Kong universities gaining recognition and acceptance among more Chinese mainland candidates, parents, educational institutions, and enterprises. In 2023, the University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen) witnessed its undergraduate graduation rate surpassing 80%, reaching 80.92%, a 2.9 percentage point increase compared to the previous year. Among 963 graduating students, 21.70% secured places in the top 10 universities worldwide for further studies, while 71.55% pursued degrees from the top 50 universities. Regarding employment, the average annual salary for the class of 2023 undergraduates reached 170,800 yuan, with 0.75% earning over 500,000 yuan annually, 7.46% earning between 300,000 and 500,000 yuan, and 28.36% earning between 200,000 and 300,000 yuan (an 11.4 percentage point increase compared to the previous year), and 46.27% earning between 100,000 and 200,000 yuan. Hong Kong universities' expansion into the Chinese mainland has yielded remarkable results in both student enrollment and career prospects.
