To support and follow the “One-hour Academic Circle” proposed in November 2016 to foster academic cooperation in the region, the University of Macau Library, the Sun Yat-sen University Library in Guangzhou and the Chinese University of Hong Kong Library initiated to establish the “Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau University Library Alliance” (GHMULA). The goals of setting up the GHMULA are fourfold:
- (1) To facilitate the three regions in their move towards the knowledge-based economy era;
- (2) To deepen academic exchanges and research cooperation among them;
- (3) To promote the cooperation among the major university libraries;
- (4) To provide support to the development of the Greater Bay Area in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau.
The member libraries of the GHMULA are from major universities and institutions in the Greater Bay Area of China. The alliance encompasses 29 member libraries: 13 from Guangdong, 9 from Hong Kong, and 7 from Macau. (Member Libraries). Shortly after the setting up of the alliance, the GHMULA has established cooperative projects on interlibrary loan, document delivery, exchange of publications, and exchange and training of library professional to foster deeper collaboration among member libraries. Apart from these collaborations, five major events were held since the inception of the alliance:
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau University Presidents’ Forum 2017
- Annual Meeting of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau University Library Alliance 2017
- The Guangdong-Hong-Macau University Library Alliance Council Meeting & Annual meeting 2019
- The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau University Library Alliance Young Scholars Forum 2019
- The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau University Library Alliance Young Scholars Forum 2020
Looking ahead, it is anticipated that more cooperative projects and further collaborations will be set up by the GHMULA to drive the development of the academic libraries in the Greater Bay Area of China.
Further reading:
- On the GHMULA alliance: https://library.um.edu.mo/ghmula/index.html
- On University alliances between Hong Kong and Mainland China: https://mainlandaffairs.hku.hk/mainland-engagement/university-alliances
Leo F.H. Ma
Head, Upper-campus Libraries
The Chinese University of Hong Kong, China