The Guangdong Free Trade Zone (FTZ), which is yet to be officially launched, is expected to pool educational resources from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, although the FTZ was originally an economic arrangement.

The provincial chief of education in Guangdong, Luo Weiqi, who is a deputy to the 12th National People's Congress (NPC), said on Wednesday that Guangdong should seize the opportunity to develop educational cooperation with both Hong Kong and Macao.[Photo/China.org.cn by He Shan]

The provincial chief of education in Guangdong, Luo Weiqi, who is a deputy to the 12th National People's Congress (NPC), said on Wednesday that Guangdong should seize the opportunity to develop educational cooperation with both Hong Kong and Macao.

"Introducing quality educational resources from Hong Kong and Macao to Guangdong should be an important element in the cooperation between Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, and it will facilitate the sound development of such cooperation," said Luo, whose various title include the chief of the Department of Education of Guangdong Province and chairman of educational affairs in the Provincial Party Committee.

According to the guideline for regional development, the Pearl River Delta will be shaped into a world-class cluster of megacities by 2020. The goal will require a large number of talents, which calls for educational resources to accommodate them, Luo said.

Urging educational cooperation in the Pearl River Delta is not an entirely new initiative. Last year, Luo suggested that the Ministry of Education (MOE) should relax the restriction on universities in Hong Kong and Macao establishing branches in Guangdong, but he said that the notion did receive careful deliberation.

Luo said the MOE is considering revising the regulation on educational cooperation between mainland institutions and those in Hong Kong and Macao. Before the new measures come into effect, Luo said the MOE reviews each case separately. The Shenzhen campus of the Chinese University of Hong Kong is such an example.

However, the Hengqin campus of the University of Macau was not an example of educational cooperation between Guangdong and Macao, since the campus is administered solely by Macao and the campus, although located in Zhuhai's Hengqin District, is isolated from the rest of Hengqin. Nevertheless, he praised the location of the campus as "very convenient"

With regard to the local demonstrations in neighboring Hong Kong and Macao that many students participated in last year, Luo said that Guangdong Province should ensure that students follow the socialist path and be moulded accordingly. And he also urged that the education system should keep up with the times in improving teaching approaches and content.