Hainan University has closely focused on national strategies such as maritime power, the construction of a free trade port with Chinese characteristics in Hainan, and the rule of law for ecological civilization. It has condensed its disciplinary direction and created 9 research and innovation teams and 2 cultivation teams, achieving a batch of internationally leading research results. Some of the results have been transformed into national marine governance policies, legislation for Hainan Free Trade Port, and legislation for ecological civilization in Hainan.

The school has a rule of law research base of the China Law Society - "Hainan Center for South China Sea Policy and Law", which is evaluated by the U.S. Center for International Maritime Security as the main academic institution providing relevant policy research on the Chinese government's direct interests in the South China Sea, and the "Report on the Development of Think Tanks in Chinese Universities (2017)" ranks the Center as No. 32 of the top 100 think tanks of the nation's universities. At the same time, our "Hainan University Path Changing Book Research Center" is currently the only specialized academic institution in China that focuses on the "Path Changing Book" of South China Sea, and has been approved as a key research base of social sciences in Hainan Province. In addition, our institute also has research platforms such as the "National and Regional Research Base of the Ministry of Education, South China Sea Regional Research Center of Hainan University,""Civil and Administrative Public Interest Litigation Prosecution Research Base of Hainan Free Trade Port," and "Chinese Characteristic Free Trade Port Research Institute". Among them, the National and Regional Research Base of the Ministry of Education, the South China Sea Regional Research Center of Hainan University, was recognized by the Ministry of Education as a Class I filing center in 2020, which was one of the 48 high-level construction units in the country.

In the past five years, the college has undertaken a total of 158 various research projects, with a research funding of 11.296 million RMB; Among them, there are 17 National Social Science Funded projects, including 6 major bidding projects of the National Social Science Fund and 2 key projects; It has published over 450 academic papers in important academic journals such as "China Legal Science", and published 42 works and textbooks in higher education publishing houses, law publishing houses, and other publishing houses; It received 28 provincial and ministerial social science excellent achievement awards. It invited 181 renowned scholars and practical experts from both domestic and foreign countries to give lectures, holding over 40 national and international academic conferences, and hosting academic exchange platforms related to the marine, such as the "South China Sea Law High-end Forum", "South China Sea Regional Cooperation Forum", and "Path Changing Book and Marine Culture". It has become an influential academic brand in the country.