Editor's Note:
Guangdong recently awarded the "Guangdong Friendship Award" to 47 foreign friends from 21 countries, acknowledging those who have made outstanding contributions to Guangdong's economic and social development, as well as international exchanges.
Professor Wei Zhao, a leading IoT scientist, has been honored with the 2026 Guangdong Friendship Award, the province's highest recognition for foreign experts who have contributed to Guangdong's development and international exchanges.
Zhao, now provost of Shenzhen University of Advanced Technology (SUAT), has spent years helping advance higher education and scientific research across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
During his tenure as president of the University of Macau, Zhao helped oversee the university's expansion to its Hengqin campus. The new campus allowed the university to attract more talent and strengthen scientific research, contributing to its rise in global university rankings.
Today, Zhao is helping develop a new model of higher education in Shenzhen. He said emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence are putting higher education at a turning point, giving new universities opportunities to experiment with new approaches. At SUAT, one priority is integrating the university more closely with the local economy.
Zhao believes the Greater Bay Area's combination of research and manufacturing capabilities creates unique opportunities to turn innovation into real-world products.
"The Greater Bay Area has a lot of potential," he said. "You haven't seen anything yet."
Reporter: Guo Chuhua
Script: Xie Hongzhou
Cameraman: Xu Anrui, Deng Yingheng
Video: Deng Yingheng
Poster: Lai Meiya
