Guangzhou University (GU) and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) score new progress in joint program of education with the support of the Guangzhou Municipal Government. On the morning of December 21, the Ceremony of Signing Letter of Intent between GU- and HKUST is held in the Municipal Auditorium of Guangzhou to witness President Yu Jiangshe of GU and President Tony Chan of HKUST signing the letter. 

The attendances of the ceremony include Wang Dong, Guangzhou Vice Mayor; Wei Zhonglin, Deputy Director of Guangdong Education Department; Chen Shaokang, Deputy Secretary General of Guangzhou Municipal Government; Qu Shaobing, Director of Guangzhou Education Bureau; Chen Haoxi, Deputy Director of Guangzhou Reform and Development Commission; Tan Manqing, Deputy Director of Guangzhou Financial Bureau; Yu Wei, Inspector of Hong Kong and Macau Office; Yu Ruolan, Deputy Director of Nansha District; Joseph Lee, Vice President of HKUST; Lionel M. Ni, Special Assistant to the President of HKUST; Yi Zuoyong, Party Secretary General of GU; Xu Junzhong, Vice President of GU; Fu Xiyang, President Assistant of GU; as well as other participants. The ceremony is chaired by Lei Zhongliang, Deputy Director of Guangzhou Education Bureau.

According to the Letter of Intent, both universities will learn from the experience of HKUST's Fok Ying Tung Research Institute (FYTRI) to jointly establish "Innovative Leadership Institute" for graduate programs in Nansha District of Guangzhou. The new institute is supposed to be a high-end and world-class school to train technology and science elites with innovative mind and global perspectives, and it can fit the development needs of the industry in Guangzhou, in the region and in the country as a whole.

Wei Zhongling, Qu Shaobing, Yi Zuoyong and Tony Lee make a speech during the ceremony to express good wishes for the joint program. They all agree that the program will become a role model for the higher education reform in the mainland as well as a key driver to improve the teaching and research performance in both Guangdong and Hong Kong.

For the record, Guangzhou Municipal Government and HKUST signed a memorandum of education and science and technology on December 19, 2011 during the "New Guangzhou , New Business Opportunities" Promotion Event. Delegates of both sides have exchanged ideas on joint education programs since then. And from the beginning of 2012, leaders of both sides have held many seminars to discuss the details of the program, and GU is finally chosen as the partner for HKUST. In the end of September 2012, the Vice President of HKUST visited GU to further discuss the cooperation details, which finally leads to the Letter of Intent.

GU is certified to enroll students from Hong Kong and Macau since 1997, and the first patch of Hong Kong students were enrolled in 1998. Currently, 183 students of GU are from Hong Kong and Macau. What's more, students from Hong Kong and Macau begin to enjoy the privilege of being enrolled by GU without joining exams but with recommendation, and 37 Hong Kong students and 5 Macau students are the first patch of lucky ones this year.