Renmin University of China (RUC) made a big move towards greater academic cooperation between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong by signing a cooperation framework agreement with the Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) on Tuesday. The cooperation represents a new chapter in cross-border education, which is expected to forge joint student programs and cultivate future professionals capable of adapting to an age of fast technological change.
The memorandum details a comprehensive array of collaborative activities such as academic exchanges, common student training, and exchange programs. Building on RUC's Shenzhen research institute, the collaboration will also offer EdUHK students more exposure to the nation's socioeconomic growth and policy direction.
A core area of focus in the collaboration is to advance teacher education in basic education and promote Chinese culture jointly through shared initiatives and platforms. These objectives are in alignment with overall national objectives of education integration and cultural exchange.
Renmin University has already formed alliances with six other top Hong Kong institutions, including the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, further showing its dedication to enhancing academic cooperation throughout the region.
In an interview with China Daily, RUC Party Secretary Zhang Donggang reiterated the university's intentions to expand collaboration with Hong Kong's academia and the technology industry. He also laid out plans to speed up the process of setting up RUC research centers in Hong Kong and Macao. The institutes will foster cross-disciplinary research and assist in cultivating talent in digital and intelligent technologies, as well as boost academic exchange and joint student training programs.
The partnership will also draw on Hong Kong's Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS) to bring in high-quality people and establish a strong academic pipeline.
Zhang emphasized the need to build stable and institutionalized patterns of cooperation beyond classic exchange models. "The mainland has rich educational resources, and Hong Kong has international vision and innovative teaching concepts", he said. "We can lead the way in new approaches to talent development for the digital and intelligent era".
The action follows growing cooperation between Hong Kong and mainland universities. Last week, the University of Hong Kong also signed an agreement with Guangzhou's Jinan University to advance legal education through student exchanges and resource sharing.
