Lawmaker calls for synergy innovation for GBA colleges

Writer: Han Ximin  |  Editor: Holly Wang  |  From: Shenzhen Daily  |  Updated: 2021-03-04

A deputy to the National People’s Congress from Shenzhen has called for synergy innovation and development for higher learning institutions in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).


Before leaving to attend the fourth session of the13th National People’s Congress starting tomorrow in Beijing, Li Qingquan, president of Shenzhen University, said during an interview with Shenzhen Special Zone Daily that he would put forward two motions, one is on promoting two-way complementary cooperation between mainland and Hong Kong universities; the other is on implementing and expanding Shenzhen universities’ autonomy in running their universities.


Li said expanding the operation autonomy of universities in Shenzhen, promoting the leapfrog development of higher education in Shenzhen and accelerating the innovation of world-class universities and first-class disciplines are inherent needs of building Shenzhen into a pilot demonstration area of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.


He suggested supporting Shenzhen to carry out pilot programs regarding universities’ autonomy in running their own affairs as soon as possible, and rendering institutional and policy support for the reform and development of Shenzhen higher education.


“The enrollment of postgraduates, especially doctoral students in Shenzhen is generally small in size. Shenzhen University received a total of1.5 billion yuan (US$232 million) in research funds in2020 and had nearly400 doctoral mentors, but it had quotas for only170 doctoral students,” Li said.


Li called for expanding enrollment autonomy of Shenzhen universities in the form of authorizations such as independent reviewing rights for conferring master’s and doctoral degrees, enrollment plans and admission methods for postgraduate students, expanding recommendations of undergraduate students for further studies, and optimizing approval procedures for international education cooperation.


As to cooperation between mainland and Hong Kong universities, Li said mainland universities should be encouraged to set up institutions in Hong Kong. It will be helpful for mainland universities to introduce international talents, build a new platform for international cooperation, and transfer their scientific research results in Hong Kong, which will then serve Hong Kong’s industrial transformation and development.


“Shenzhen University has more than200 students from Hong Kong and more than10,000 alumni working there, and is considering setting up an institution in Hong Kong. This will provide opportunities for Hong Kong’s youth to get employed and start up businesses in GBA,” said Li.