In his speech, Chen pointed out that world-famous historical bay areas such as London, New York and San Francisco played an important role in previous industrial revolutions. Currently, the fourth industrial revolution is looming and Shenzhen should leverage the development of the Bay Area in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao to make the most of the opportunities arising. It is therefore critical to improve higher education in order to lead future development. He said: “Without a major university, a city is incomplete, and higher education in the Bay Area is a key element for development”. He compared the universities in the Bay Area to well-known domestic cities, pointing out that Shenzhen is the most recent metropolis in the region and strong universities are a necessary requirement for strong cities. He said Shenzhen should continue to promote the integration of science and education, strengthen cooperation with Hong Kong, Macao and other cities, learn from advanced experiences and make great achievements in its universities in order to become a world class city.

Tony F. Chan, President of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and Li Qingquan, President of Shenzhen University also attended the forum and delivered speeches.

After the speech, Chen Shiyi, Tony F. Chan and Li Qingquan conducted discussions on the current situation under the chairmanship of Zhang Lifen, the chief financial adviser of YICAI and professor of Fudan University’s School of Journalism. They discussed development strategies, cooperation and exchange programs and resource allocation for higher education in Shenzhen and Hong Kong.

YICAI Technology and Innovation Conference was held by financial media group First Financial Group. After two consecutive years in Shanghai, it was moved to Shenzhen.

The forum follows the theme of “Making the Future happen”, and during the two-day forum on November 2-3, there were around ten keynote speeches and round-table discussions focusing on Shenzhen’s university system and talent innovation. The Shenzhen Bay Area’s Opportunities and challenges was one of the most discussed points.

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