A researcher from the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Automation introduces the latest developments in brain science to students from Hong Kong in Beijing. (JIN LIWANG / XINHUA)

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government will gradually resume education exchanges and cooperation with the Chinese mainland after the resumption of normal cross-border travel,Secretary for Education Choi Yuk-lin said Wednesday.

Choi said the government will organize mainland study tours for students as early as April, and allow two mainland schools to conduct DSE examinations as soon as 2024.

The Education Bureau will offer 21 different routes to students. Twelve of them will be arranged in Guangdong province, including a day trip

The Hong Kong Education Bureau had replaced the Liberal Studies subject with Citizenship and Social Development for students in Secondary 4, 5, and 6 to enhance their national education. Study tours to the mainland are part of the CSD subject for Hong Kong students to learn more about the country’s development.

READ MORE: HK seeks to exempt cross-border students from travel quota

Secondary school students in Hong Kong can join in the mainland study tour as early as Easter in April, with priority given to Secondary 5 students, Choi said.

The Education Bureau will offer 21 different routes to students. Twelve of them will be arranged in Guangdong province, including a day trip, according to Choi.

To ensure the exchange program’s quality, Choi will lead principals of different schools to inspect the routes in advance in March.

Choi said two mainland schools in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area will also be allowed to hold the Diploma of Secondary Education Examination as soon as 2024.

READ MORE: More HK students attending mainland universities

In June 2022, Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority allowed eligible schools in the mainland to host the DSE.

Under the arrangement, the exams could be held in the mainland so that Hong Kong students living there no longer need to return to the SAR fort he exams.

This measure would be a great convenience for Hong Kong families living on the mainland, Choi said.