“Branding the Great Bay Area (GBA)”, a “Key Subject Construction Project” of UIC in “Provincial High-Level University Construction Project of Guangdong”, has been approved in early March, 2022.

Organized by Prof. Tzi-Ki Hon, the Principal Investigator, this project will integrate the Communication-related programmes in DHSS, UIC and will extensively research the history, status quo, and future of the GBA from diverse perspectives, such as culture and history, city branding promotion, professional resources exchange, and communication of ideas. It contains five sub-projects: “Making the GBA a hub for the studies of global Yijing”; “Studies on the history and artists of Cantonese Opera”; “Branding the GBA through social media”; “Job opportunities for young people from Hong Kong and Macao in Hengqing, Zhuhai”; and “Media preferences and usages of Hong Kong and Macao students”, led by Prof. Hon, Dr. Jianing Chen, Dr. Chailee Lim, Dr. Xiaying Xu and Dr. Chuanli Xia respectively.

The research project members had their inaugural meeting on March 9th. At the meeting, Prof. Hon emphasized the team’s principle of cooperation and the common goals; Leaders of each sub-project introduced their members and research plans. The team would sign a project contract and begin their research work soon. The approval of “Branding the GBA” Research Project is a great opportunity for DHSS to promote scientific research. Other businesses such as organizing regular academic activities, writing, editing and publishing research papers and memoirs have been scheduled to conduct as well.