HK and Mainland Higher Education Institutions Sign Letter of Intent

WAN CHAI, HONG KONG - Hong Kong and Mainland higher education institutions today signed a Letter of Intent to further strengthen exchange and collaboration on bilateral visits, nurturing of talents and co-operation in research, etc, between the higher education institutions of the two places, according to a press release by the Education Bureau of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Since the reunification, higher education institutions in Hong Kong and the Mainland have established a solid foundation in bilateral collaboration and exchange. With the support of the Ministry of Education and the Education Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government, the institutions of the two places have now signed a Letter of Intent to foster a broader and higher level of co-operation, particularly in the areas of bilateral visits, nurturing of talents and co-operation in research. 

According to the Letter of Intent, higher education institutions in Hong Kong with the power to award Bachelor's degrees or above will further expand and deepen collaboration with their Mainland counterparts based on the principle of inter-institutional co-operation and bilateral exchange.

Students of undergraduate programs and postgraduate programs at Master's and PhD levels as well as teaching staff of the relevant higher education institutions can all participate in exchange activities, with priority given to local students in Hong Kong. Exchange activities include visiting Mainland and Hong Kong higher education institutions to pursue studies and research, as well as participation in short-term exchange and visit programs. The Central Government will set up a dedicated fund to support teachers and students in Hong Kong to participate in exchange programs on the Mainland.

The Secretary for Education, Mr Michael Suen; the Vice Minister for Education, Professor Hao Ping; the Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR, Ms Yin Xiaojing; and representatives of the higher education sector witnessed the signing of the Letter of Intent by representatives of 12 Hong Kong higher education institutions and 17 Mainland higher education institutions on behalf of the participating institutions of the two places. 

Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Mr Suen said, "The competitiveness of a country or region depends largely on the quality of its people. We believe the signing of the Letter of Intent will take the close ties between the Mainland and Hong Kong to a new level of development. We trust the higher education institutions in both places will work in concert in taking forward co-operation initiatives expeditiously, so that their mutual collaboration and exchange will scale new heights."

The Convenor of the Heads of Universities Committee and President of the Hong Kong Institute of Education, Professor Anthony Cheung, delivered a speech on behalf of Hong Kong's higher education institutions. He said, "Exchange and co-operation between the higher education institutions of Hong Kong and the Mainland will be conducive to achieving complementarity and a win-win situation. Based on the achievements and foundation of their co-operation in the past, the higher education institutions of the two places should grasp the unprecedented opportunities to deepen their co-operation and contribute to the future development of the Mainland and Hong Kong."