Assessing Hengqin’s role as a hub for expanding Macau’s high-quality education

ANALYSIS

This year’s “Two Sessions” in Beijing once again underscored the central government’s focus on technological innovation, talent development and regional integration. Within that broader agenda, Macau delegates have increasingly described neighboring Hengqin as a strategic platform to extend the city’s higher‑education capacity and strengthen its role within the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA).

Among the voices pointing to this direction was Chen Jimin, a Macau member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). Speaking to reporters before the close of the CPPCC session in Beijing, Chen emphasized Hengqin’s potential to function as a bridge linking Macau’s academic resources with the broader innovation ecosystem emerging across southern China.

She noted that the city’s universities, national key laboratories and research institutes are gradually positioning Macau as a hub for high‑end talent. “Leveraging universities and national key laboratories is attracting an increasing number of world‑class scientists to establish themselves in the Greater Bay Area,” Chen said, stressing that young researchers are increasingly participating in major national scientific projects.

The annual sessions of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the CPPCC, which opened earlier this month in Beijing, traditionally provide a platform for delegates from across China to outline policy proposals and regional development strategies. While many discussions this year centered on the upcoming 15th Five‑Year Plan (2026–2030), Macau representatives used the forum to highlight how the city could contribute to national innovation goals through deeper GBA integration.

A growing higher‑education base

Macau’s higher‑education sector has expanded rapidly since the 1999 handover, and Chen argued that this progress offers a foundation for further development in Hengqin.

According to figures cited during the interview, the region’s universities now host more than 62,000 students. Of these, over 9,000 are enrolled in science‑ and technology‑related programs spanning undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees.

Chen also pointed to the dramatic growth of Macau’s research community. The number of university researchers has risen from just 13 in the early years after the handover to roughly 1,773 today – an increase of more than 130‑fold.

Over the same period, Macau has established four national key laboratories covering areas such as smart city technology, space science and traditional Chinese medicine. These institutions have become focal points for collaboration with mainland universities and international partners, helping raise Macau’s academic profile.

However, local limitations remain evident. Macau’s small geographic footprint restricts the expansion of campuses and large research facilities. For many policymakers and educators, Hengqin – located immediately across the border in Zhuhai – offers the physical space and institutional flexibility needed to support long‑term growth.

Hengqin as a regional talent platform

The Hengqin Guangdong–Macau In‑Depth Cooperation Zone has already been designated as a testing ground for cross‑border integration in sectors ranging from finance and tourism to scientific research. Education is now emerging as another pillar of that cooperation.

By extending Macau’s academic ecosystem into Hengqin, policymakers hope to create a broader innovation corridor linking universities, laboratories, technology firms and start‑ups. Such a model could allow Macau institutions to expand research capacity while remaining closely connected to the mainland’s industrial supply chains.

Chen suggested that this approach would also strengthen the GBA’s attractiveness to international researchers and students. A larger academic cluster spanning Macau and Hengqin could provide more laboratories, funding opportunities and interdisciplinary collaboration, making the region more competitive with established innovation hubs elsewhere in Asia.

The strategy aligns with Beijing’s broader push to develop world‑class science and technology clusters. In the context of the upcoming Five‑Year Plan, the Greater Bay Area is widely expected to play a central role in China’s ambitions to advance semiconductor development, artificial intelligence, biomedical research and green technologies.

For Macau, leveraging Hengqin’s space and policy flexibility could help the city overcome structural constraints while preserving its unique role as a gateway between China and the global academic community. By Yuki Lei