University town to be fast-tracked, Eric Chan says after mainland China visit



Hong Kongโ€™s No 2 official has pledged to fast-track a new university townโ€™s development following a visit to similar projects in mainland China, saying authorities will devise a strategy to attract top institutions from across the border and overseas to take part.

Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki and his working group on the university townโ€™s planning and construction, which falls under the Committee on Development of the Northern Metropolis, concluded their three-day visit to the mainland after a meeting with Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, on Thursday.

Later that day, a city government spokesman said Xia had offered guidance on the projectโ€™s construction.

Chan, meanwhile, said the working group would push ahead with โ€œenhanced quality, speed, and efficiencyโ€ to align with the national 15th five-year plan and help Hong Kong better integrate into and serve the nationโ€™s overall development.

โ€œThrough on-site visits to higher education developments in different places, and exchanges with experts and scholars on their successful experiences and development strategies, the delegation gained practical inspiration for the top-level design of the Northern Metropolis university town,โ€ he said.

โ€œThis will help advance the deep integration of Hong Kongโ€™s academic excellence with industry, promoting industrial development through education.โ€

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