The Faculty of Social Sciences (FSS) of the University of Macau (UM) successfully hosted the academic conference titled ‘Forging Solutions to Governance Challenges in the Greater Bay Area: Diverse Perspectives, Methods, and Paradigms’, with the aim of promoting an in-depth dialogue between academics and practitioners. During the conference, scholars from renowned universities such as Tsinghua University, Peking University, and the University of Hong Kong addressed the governance challenges in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), transcending the boundaries of traditional disciplines.

Hu Weixing, dean of FSS, said that the conference served as a platform for scholars in the field of governance to exchange ideas, and provided references for policymakers and industry practitioners. Through in-depth discussions and collaborations, attendees could explore topical issues, including the governance of the GBA, and offer invaluable insights for future research and practice.

Some attendees agreed that the conference would play a significant role in developing the study of governance of the GBA and provide substantial support for deepening regional cooperation and research.

The opening ceremony of the conference was presided over by Hu. Yu Keping, chair professor at Peking University (PKU), director of the PKU Research Center for Chinese Politics, and dean of the School of Government at Shenzhen University, and Carlos Lo, head of the Department of Government and Public Administration at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, delivered a keynote speech on technology governance and environmental governance respectively.

The conference featured six sub-forums covering a wide range of topics, including collaborative governance, environmental governance, digital governance, non-profit and corporate governance, legal governance, and global governance. Moderators and guest speakers at the sub-forums included scholars from higher education institutions in Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macao, and other parts of mainland China, including Tsinghua University, Peking University, Renmin University of China, Communication University of China, the University of Hong Kong, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, City University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, University of Macau, and Macau University of Science and Technology. They held in-depth discussions and exchanged ideas on the latest research findings in their respective fields, with a view to facilitating interdisciplinary collaboration and exploring innovative solutions to governance challenges.