Over the weekend, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) announced the establishment of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area Data Center of Higher Education in conjunction with the International Center for Higher Education Innovation under the auspices of UNESCO (UNESCO-ICHEI), and the SUSTech Higher Education Research Center. It is the first regional education research institute focusing on the Greater Bay Area and is committed to becoming an influential think tank for higher education in China.

Senior officials from Ministry of Education, and the counterparts in the provincial and municipal level, and leaders from SUSTech, universities across mainland China, government departments, research institutions and educational information enterprises attended the launch ceremony.

At the opening ceremony, Deputy Director Xu Jianling of the Shenzhen Education Bureau expressed the hope that the Greater Bay Area Data Center of Higher Education will take the initiative to undertake the responsibility of big data research in the Greater Bay Area and contribute to the development of the Greater Bay Area.

SUSTech University Council Vice Chairperson Li Fengliang said that collaborative innovation can produce high-quality research results and see the Greater Bay Area Data Center of Higher Education strive towards a new influential think tank for higher education in the Greater Bay Area.

Dean Chen Yuehong of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences pointed out that the Greater Bay Area Data Center of Higher Education will take advantage of artificial intelligence, intelligent participation and education development integration. He believes that this will be the future trend for higher education development, above all forms of educational development.

Director Li Ming of UNESCO-ICHEI and the Higher Education Research Center at SUSTech introduced the flagship projects. He hoped that the Greater Bay Area Data Center of Higher Education will work with universities and researchers across the Greater Bay Area to study university innovation to enhance their international & regional influence.

Experts from all over the country provided advice and suggestions on higher education data, quantitative evaluation research and application, and jointly explored how to use higher education evaluation to serve regional economic development. Participating experts discussed the issues of data management and higher education respectively.

Dean Tang Zhenmin of the Guangdong Education Research Institute, President Yang Zongkai of Xi’an University of Electronic Technology, Director Li Yan of the Department of Information at the Higher Education Teaching Evaluation Center at the Ministry of Education, and co-directors of the Greater Bay Area Data Center of Higher Education Wang Boqing and Han Wei all presented speeches at the ceremony.

The meeting saw the publication of the preliminary results of the Comparative Analysis Report on the Development of Higher Education in the Greater Bay Area, the Jingjinji Area and the Yangtze River Delta.

This seminar initiated the establishment of the Greater Bay Area Data Center of Higher Education. It will adhere to the principle of professional, cutting-edge and open education data research. It is committed to improving the quality of higher education, leading the development of regional university clusters. The Greater Bay Area Data Center of Higher Education will work to build an international world-class urban agglomeration.