‘Special corridor’ for students still under review

The possibility of re-opening the special corridor linking Macau with the Hong Kong International Airport for the purpose of allowing local students to return to overseas universities is still being reviewed, according to the Higher Education Bureau (DSES).
In response to an enquiry by the Times, the DSES said that the relevant departments were still studying whether to reopen the link for students who study at foreign universities. Last Friday, the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Center said there were no such plans at present.
In a reply to the Times, the Bureau noted that “any solution to help students to continue their studies” is being carefully reviewed, hinting that the creation of the corridor is not the only option being considered.
DSES director, Sou Chio Fai, in an interview with Radio Macau over the weekend, aired the possibility of the corridor returning.
Questioned also on if the current situation of the Covid-19 pandemic and consequent travel restrictions could lead to a higher number of local students deciding to study in Macau instead of at overseas universities abroad, the DSES chief said only that this was not the focus or intention of his education administrators.
“We did not make any study or forecast on the potential change in the number of students that choose to study in Macau or not,” said Sou. “As a public entity in the field of higher education, our Bureau’s role is to assist and promote the development of local higher education institutions and the quality of higher education courses.”
In the fulfillment of such roles, the DSES said it had organized many activities to provide information for students so they could reach their own decisions. Among such activities are talks on pursuing further studies in various countries and regions.
Regarding the announced merging of the DSES into the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau (DSEJ) and on the current status of such work, the DSES declined to make further comments, noting that the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Elsie Ao Ieong U had recently responded to such questions.
Ao Ieong previously said that she hoped such work could be concluded before the year-end, advancing that the timeline for the implementation is mostly dependent on the necessary legal procedures.
The Secretary said that the Legal Affairs Bureau and the Public Administration and Civil Service Bureau are currently reviewing the administrative regulations that will rule on such merging. After that, they will be sent to the Executive Council for further examination.