Han Ximin ximhan@126.com THE Shenzhen government will invest 150 billion yuan (US$21 billion) over 10 years on building high-level and quality higher learning institutions to meet the city’s development goals, complete the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and build the city into a pilot demonstration area of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Five universities are on the agenda of the government’s priority list, namely Ocean University of China, Shenzhen Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences Shenzhen University of Technology, Shenzhen Innovation and Creative Design Academy, and Shenzhen Music Conservatory, an official with the Shenzhen Municipal Education Bureau said. At a seminar on “Building a Demonstration Area and the Development of Higher Learning Institutions” held at SUSTech over the weekend, Xu Jianling, deputy director with Shenzhen’s education bureau, said the city aims to have 20 higher learning institutions by the end of 2025 and the number of full time students on campus will reach 250,000. “Compared with first-tier cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, Shenzhen’s higher learning education lags far behind. Taking Guangzhou as an example, it has more than 80 higher learning institutions and more than 1 million students studying full time. Shenzhen now has only 13 universities, if Shenzhen Open University is included, with 100,000 students, which is less than one-tenth of that in Guangzhou,” Xu told more than 100 experts and scholars from mainland, Hong Kong and Macao universities. To support the city’s strategy to become a global marine center city, Bao’an District, Ocean University of China and Shenzhen Yantian Port Group signed an agreement to set up a Shenzhen research institute in October. The Chinese Academy of Sciences said during the 2019 China Hi-Tech Fair, which was scheduled to close yesterday, that it will build a research-type technology university in Guangming Science and Technology Town. The university will enroll students in 2021. According to a report by the Bao’an Daily, Shenzhen Innovation and Creation Design Academy will be settled at Fenghuangling in Hangcheng Subdistrict, Bao’an District. It will start with 100 students in the beginning and will accommodate 800 students in 2024, including 400 undergraduate, 300 postgraduate and 100 doctorate students. The facility for Shenzhen Conservatory of Music is one of 10 cultural landmarks on which the city has initiated planning and construction. Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen) has been tasked with the preparatory work for the academy. The academy will have a capacity to cultivate 1,000 students, according to an earlier report. | 