Ⅱ. Cross-Cultural Critical Thinking
Directions： Read a passage about Shenzhen’s Higher Education Sector in the Context of the GBA’s Regional Development and then discuss the following questions with your partner(s).
Shenzhen City in Southeast China has developed from a small fishing village into a modern metropolis since China adopted an open-door policy in 1978. In accordance with its national plan and strategy, China has been striving to develop its international Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA). Owing to its rapidly developing economy, industries and innovative technologies, Shenzhen is an important city in the GBA. Shenzhen’s higher education (HE) is supposedly crucial for its advancement as an innovation hub. However, the HE in Shenzhen is reportedly not adept with the city’s economic development.
The development of a city’s higher education (HE) sector is related to its abilities for scientific research, innovation and economic development. However, compared with some other domestic cities such as Shanghai and Guangzhou, in Shenzhen, the foundation of HE development is not competitive enough. Shenzhen’s education system, particularly the HE sector, started late with relatively small-scale development. Thus, with the changing economic environment in recent years, the development of the HE sector has become one of the city’s priorities. In Shenzhen, continuous support is extended to establish well-known colleges and universities not only to improve its HE sector but also its innovation ability; this provides strong talent and scientific and technological support to Shenzhen, thereby promoting regional economic and social development (Shenzhen Municipal Government, 2021). Meanwhile, the GBA-related policies have accelerated the development of Shenzhen’s HE sector. However, the distribution of education resources in the GBA’s colleges and universities is uneven, and the level of development varies greatly. Hong Kong universities have apparent advantages in terms of internationalisation, research capability and teaching quality; however, the insufficient industrial support limits the scope of their research applications and graduate employment. To their advantage, Shenzhen and other cities in the GBA have manufacturing bases and industrial support; however, these cities still face considerable challenges in cultivating international talent. Owing to these complementary advantages, the development of the GBA’s HE sector is expected to promote more active university-industry collaborations and transform the GBA into a southern education highland, thereby promoting the GBA’s economic development and increasing China’s soft power.
1. What are the roles of Shenzhen’s higher education sector in the GBA’s regional development?
2. What are the possible ways to enhance the development of higher education in Shenzhen?
3. What would you do as a college student in the GBA?
Useful Expressions(https://www.daowen.com)
the GBA’s HE sector 大湾区高等教育
regional development 区域发展
research capacity 研究能力
international collaboration 国际合作
foster / promote / upgrade 促进，提升
favorable policies 优惠政策
non-local talent 非本地人才