The Education Bureau (EDB) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region today (June 25) signed the Letter of Intent on Qualifications Framework (QF) Co-operation between Hong Kong and Guangdong with the Department of Education of Guangdong Province to strengthen collaboration on QF between the two places. The Letter of Intent was signed by the Under Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, and the Deputy Director-General of the Department of Education of Guangdong Province, Mr Xing Feng.
The Letter of Intent covers the co-operation in QF between Hong Kong and Guangdong, the exploration of mutual recognition of credits in different categories of education and training in the Greater Bay Area, and the promotion of talent exchange in the Greater Bay Area. According to the Letter of Intent, Hong Kong and Guangdong will set up a working group to foster comprehensive and effective communication and collaboration between the two places on the co-operation in QF.
At the signing ceremony, Dr Choi said that since the announcement of the intention to develop the country's QF in the National 13th Five-Year Plan in 2016, the EDB has been playing an active role in relevant work. The Bureau has shared its experience in developing and implementing the QF to various organisations and parties on the Mainland on various occasions since the launch of the Hong Kong QF in 2008. The QF Secretariat in Hong Kong also signed a letter of intent with the Guangdong Occupational Skill Testing Authority in 2011 to explore the comparability between competency standards in different industries under the Hong Kong QF and national vocational standards in the Mainland.
Dr Choi said, "The development of the Greater Bay Area provides more co-operation opportunities in education for Hong Kong and Guangdong. I believe that the Letter of Intent signed today will strengthen collaboration in QF and promote the development of education in the two places, thereby further supporting talent exchange in the Greater Bay Area."
The EDB has been actively establishing networks with overseas QF authorities to enhance the profile of the Hong Kong QF internationally, to ensure that the growth and development of the Hong Kong QF are healthy and commensurate with other economies, and to provide a basis for referencing, alignment and recognition of qualifications by overseas counterparts. The Bureau is also collaborating with the QF authorities of New Zealand, Ireland, Scotland, Thailand and the European Commission to deepen understanding and strengthen Hong Kong's QF relationship with these places.
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