Shenzhen puts big bucks into university project

The southern boomtown of Shenzhen, Guangdong province, is set to invest approximately 6 billion yuan in the initial construction phase of the new Shenzhen Ocean University campus, with completion expected by 2026. Lu Xiaozhong, dean of the Institute of Advanced Study of Education Development in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area at South China Normal University, emphasized the need for higher education in Shenzhen to align with local socioeconomic development, as well as demographic shifts. Lin Jian, head of the preparatory team for SOU, acknowledged that Shenzhen currently lacks sufficient marine scientific talent compared to other coastal cities such as Qingdao in Shandong province, Xiamen in Fujian province and Shanghai. He stressed the importance of highlighting Shenzhen's unique strengths in building a new university dedicated to ocean studies, and said SOU will leverage Shenzhen's innovative culture and technological prowess to establish cutting-edge marine engineering and technology disciplines.