GUANGZHOU, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) plans to build a campus in Guangzhou, capital of the southern province of Guangdong.

The city government of Guangzhou, Guangzhou University and HKUST signed a cooperative agreement on the establishment of the campus in Nansha District on Friday.

The Guangzhou city government will provide 1.13 square kilometers of land for the campus, which will be located at the geographic center of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, according to the agreement.

The parties plan to build the HKUST (Guangzhou) into a world-class university and a high-end scientific research innovation platform to further deepen exchanges between Guangzhou and Hong Kong in education, science and technology.

In March 2017, the parties started negotiations on the cooperation project. On Oct. 14, Guangzhou University and HKUST signed a cooperation letter of intent in Hong Kong.

Founded in 1991, HKUST is a world-renowned research university with breakthrough achievements in physics, engineering, business administration, biological science and biotechnology as well as environment and sustainable development.