GHMU-APSSE is here to build the GBA’s next generation of innovators
The GBA has set a development goal to deepen cooperation in innovation industries across the region and build itself into an international innovation and technology hub. Pictured is the waterfront area in Shekou District, Shenzhen, China. (Photo: Getty Images)
The thriving development of the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), particularly in its high-tech industries, demands not only high-tech and AI talent but also a general population that is science-and-technology-savvy. To nurture a scientifically and technologically literate population for the region, STEAM education in primary and secondary schools across the GBA plays a crucial role. Sharing this vision to advance STEAM education in the GBA and meet its long-term strategic needs, EdUHK, South China Normal University (SCNU), and the University of Macau (UM) founded the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Alliance for Primary and Secondary STEAM Education (GHMU-APSSE; 粵港澳高校中小學STEAM教育聯盟) in March 2025.
GHMU-APSSE is an education-focused alliance jointly formed by three higher education institutions, bringing together experts in STEAM education from Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao to create a cross-institutional and cross-disciplinary collaborative development model for STEAM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) in primary and secondary schools across the GBA. It also seeks to strengthen the interdisciplinary teaching abilities of pre-service teachers from member universities, and to cultivate more interdisciplinary innovative talent for the region.
An inauguration ceremony cum forum was held on 22 March 2025 to mark the launch of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Alliance for Primary and Secondary STEAM Education (GHMU-APSSE; 粵港澳高校中小學STEAM教育聯盟).
Attending the inauguration ceremony were EdUHK President Professor John Lee Chi-Kin (fourth from left); Professor Ke Qingchao (fifth from left), Dean of the School of Information Technology in Education at SCNU; and Professor Fan Lianghuo (fourth from right), Dean of the Faculty of Education at UM.
A talk in progress during the inauguration ceremony.
To formally mark the establishment of GHMU-APSSE, an inauguration ceremony and forum was held on 22 March 2025 where more than 180 STEAM education experts and scholars from the GBA attended. At the GHMU-APSSE forum, Professor Hu Weiping from Shaanxi Normal University and Professor Luo Xingkai from Guangxi Normal University gave keynote speeches. They shared insights on the construction and practice of STEAM education systems in primary and secondary schools and the collaborative innovation in technology literacy education between universities and these schools, particularly in exploration and reflection regarding teacher training.
When GHMU-APSSE was formally established in March 2025, the organisation — jointly operated by EdUHK, SCNU, and UM — had already been actively hosting and supporting STEAM-related events across the region. On 3 and 4 January 2025, the 2025 Conference of the Global Chinese Academy for Science Education Research (GCASER, 全球華人科學教育研究學會2025年會) was co-hosted by the Department of Science and Environmental Studies (SES) and the Department of Curriculum and Instruction (C&I) at EdUHK, with GHMU-APSSE as one of the supporting organisations. At EdUHK, the alliance is housed within SES.
EdUHK hosts the 2025 Conference of the Global Chinese Academy for Science Education Research (GCASER) in January 2025.
Titled “Sustainable Science Education: Shaping a Better Future” (可持續科學教育：塑造更美好的未來), the GCASER conference marked the Academy’s inaugural academic conference since its establishment, attracting over 400 experts, scholars, teachers, and educational researchers from around the world to discuss the latest developments in science education research and reform.
On 8 and 9 November 2025, GHMU-APSSE held its annual meeting at SCNU, one of the alliance’s member universities. Themed “Artificial Intelligence Empowering Interdisciplinary Education Reform and Innovation”, the meeting brought together nearly 200 experts and scholars to exchange ideas on topics including the integration of AI with interdisciplinary teaching, curriculum reform, and regional cooperation.
2025 has been a productive year for the alliance. Throughout the year, it held six academic conferences attracting 1,500 participants, two joint-university training programmes attended by 1,100 participants, and one student exchange activity for 100 students.
In 2026, the alliance continues its work on advancing STEAM education across the GBA. It is co-sponsoring the 28th Primary STEM Project Exhibition (PSPE), with the final exhibition scheduled for 20 May 2026 at the Hong Kong Central Library, Causeway Bay. Under the theme “Disaster Prevention and Preparedness”, this year’s exhibition comprises morning and afternoon sessions, each with around 80 school teams participating. Over 1,200 primary students and teachers from 115 schools in Hong Kong and other parts of the GBA will take part. SES and the Centre for Environment and Sustainable Development (CESD) are the main organisers of the event.
The GBA needs to nurture many STEAM-capable workers to meet the region’s development needs in high-tech industries.
From 28 to 31 May, the alliance will co-host the EASE 2026 Conference alongside the second Great Bay Area Science Education Forum. This four-day event will bring together experts, early-career researchers, and educators from East Asia to share best practices, explore interdisciplinary approaches, and address recent STEAM curriculum reforms driven by AI. Titled “STEAM Education in the Age of Artificial Intelligence”, the conference and forum will feature keynote addresses by renowned speakers, panel discussions, paper presentation sessions, and teacher forums designed to inspire collaboration, generate new research questions, and strengthen practice.
The Chinese Mainland incorporated STEM education into its national education strategy in 2016 and released its Artificial Intelligence Development Plan in 2017. Under this national development blueprint, and as a region home to many high-tech industries, the GBA requires a strategically aligned policy to develop its STEM and STEAM education. Such a policy will ensure the region a steady supply of STEAM-capable talent to fill future roles in software engineering, product design, technical and logistical support, and more. EdUHK will continue to support the work of GHMU-APSSE in strengthening STEAM capacity across the Greater Bay Area.
