The annual conference of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Alliance was held online on July 10, gathering nearly 200 representatives from relevant government departments and 40 universities from Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao.

Set up at the end of 2016, the alliance was expected to establish a high-end platform for the communication and cooperation among universities in Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao, deepening cooperation in areas spanning talent cultivation, scientific innovation, and social service.

Discussions on the further promotion of coordinated innovation and education development in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area were carried out during the conference.

Issues on how the alliance will unite to deal with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic were also covered, aiming to turn the Greater Bay Area into an international scientific innovation center and a demonstration zone for international education.

Zhu Chaohua, deputy director-general of the Department of Education of Guangdong Province, said that the alliance has consciously undertaken the responsibility to promote education development in Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao, and has achieved remarkable outcomes.

Zhu noted that he believes that the alliance can make full use of its advantages to tap into the potential of cooperation in higher education in the Greater Bay Area.

Three new universities were approved to join the alliance during the conference, namely the Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen), Guangdong University of Finance & Economics, and Guangdong University of Petrochemical Technology.

A total of 10 new associations were also set up, covering areas like the Internet of Things, bioelectronics, as well as mental and neurological diseases.