Beijing universities in Xiong'an New Area, Hebei province, will coordinate activities to better contribute to the economic zone's high-quality growth and high-level management, according to a report in Hebei Daily.

The universities are Beijing Jiaotong University, the University of Science and Technology Beijing, the China University of Geosciences (Beijing) and Beijing Forestry University.

As the first four universities from the capital to have set up campuses in Xiong'an, they jointly founded a collaborative innovation alliance on Sept 23 that will explore a comprehensive mechanism for teaching and research and will serve as an innovative model for talent development, according to the report.

The opening of their campuses from Beijing to Xiong'an were disclosed last year.

Apart from the four schools, nine provincially administrated universities in Hebei, 12 related companies and nine scientific research institutions are also members of the alliance, including the Hebei University of Technology, the HBIS Group — one of the world's largest steel manufacturers — and the 13th Research Institute of China Electronic Technology Group.

Membership is expected to expand soon.

"The alliance's major task is to carry out the coordinated development of innovation among universities transferred from Beijing to help promote the development of Xiong'an New Area," Yu Zujun, president of Beijing Jiaotong University and the first chairman of the alliance, was quoted as saying by Hebei Daily.

Members have signed an agreement pledging to cooperate, co-develop the area, share experiences and nurture talent.

Together with the other members, the University of Science and Technology Beijing will explore education innovation, talent nurturing and development spurred by scientific and technological innovation, said the university's president, Yang Renshu.

Beijing Forestry University will give full play to its characteristic advantages in the fields of forestry, landscape architecture, soil and water conservation and desertification prevention and control, said An Lizhe, its president.

Meanwhile, "through the cooperation, the China University of Geosciences (Beijing) will strive to cultivate innovative talent in Xiong'an, and help create conditions for them to settle down and develop well in the new area", said Lei Yalin, Party chief of the university.