In the basic-level class of the Confucius Institute jointly established by Hainan University (HNU) and the Royal University of Agriculture (RUA) in Cambodia, students made lanterns and wrote Spring Festival couplets and the Chinese character “福” (meaning fortune) with traditional writing brushes, appreciating the charm of the Chinese Spring Festival.
Tropical medicine experts and scholars from countries such as Canada, Australia, Thailand, and Switzerland gathered in Haikou to discuss the prevention and control of tropical diseases.
These scenes of educational collaboration which transcend national boundaries illustrate vividly the opening-up initiative of Hainan’s education sector.
According to the 2025 Hainan Provincial Work Conference on Education, more effort should be made to advance the “Going Global” strategy. Key priorities include supporting HNU to build a thriving League of Tropical Universities (LTU) and enabling Hainan Medical University (HNMU) to leverage the strengths of the Belt and Road Tropical Medical Alliance (BRTMA).
Currently, a network dedicated to opening-up has taken shape. With its tropical identity as the bond, Hainan is expanding its “circle of friends” worldwide in education collaboration.
Adhering to “Opening-up” Strategy
Expanding International Cooperation
In January this year, Tun Mohd Ali Rustam, Governor of Malacca, Malaysia, and President of Dunia Melayu Dunia Islam (DMDI) visited HNU.
“Malacca share great similarities with Haikou, both endowed with abundant tourism resources and remarkable climatic advantages. We look forward to deepening exchanges with HNU for mutually beneficial cooperation,” noted Tun Ali with great anticipation. He expressed willingness to liaise between HNU and Malacca’s universities and institutions and to promote the construction of the LTU.
Recent years have witnessed numerous examples of mutual engagement. Adhering to the opening-up strategy, HNU has zoomed in on the “tropics”, growing its global footprint boldly.
In November 2023, HNU launched the LTU in collaboration with 7 flagship universities and research institutions in the tropics, including the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Cairo University in Egypt, Universiti Malaya and Universiti Teknologi Petronas in Malaysia, the University of São Paulo in Brazil, the Bandung Institute of Technology in Indonesia, and Chulalongkorn University in Thailand. It is the world’s first multilateral platform for educational exchanges and cooperation dedicated to the tropical region.
Why has so much effort been devoted to building the LTU? One of its keywords can help us understand it — “tropics” .
According to the 2022 “State of the Tropics Report” published on the UN’s official website, the tropics encompasses 39.8% of the world’s total area and boasts copious natural resources like sunlight, heat, and water. Besides, 109 countries and territories are fully or partially located in the tropics, with a population of around 3.37 billion. However, many tropical regions are grappling with development bottlenecks such as meager economic contributions, severe food insecurity, impact of climate change, over-reliance on resources, and comparatively stagnant progress in education and sci-tech.
Against this backdrop, the LTU was created with the mission of nurturing high-caliber professionals urgently needed for the social and economic development of tropical regions. It also seeks to foster cooperation and exchanges in education, sci- tech, and culture, helping tackle the challenges confronting these areas. “As of February 28, 2025, the membership of the LTU has included 89 universities and research institutions from 37 countries and regions,” remarked a senior official from HNU’s Office of International Cooperation and Exchange. Notable member countries include Egypt, Malaysia, Brazil, Ghana, Nigeria, Thailand, and the Republic of the Congo, basically forming a transnational and multicultural collaborative network.
In October 2018, Hainan Medical College (currently Hainan Medical University) proactively responded to the WHO’s global call for intensified tropical disease prevention and research and spearheaded the establishment of BRTMA. This alliance united over 40 countries to construct a multi-layered tropical medicine research platform. “Since its inception six years ago, members of the alliance have steadfastly adhered to the principles of joint contribution, shared benefits, and win-win cooperation. Through sustained exchanges and cooperation, its global network has expanded robustly,” remarked Xia Qianfeng, Director of the School of Tropical Medicine at HNMU.
Building Cohesion and Synergy
Empowering the Development of Tropical Regions and Constructing the Bridge for Exchanges
Recently, the Office of International Cooperation and Exchange of HNU is filled with bustle as the staff are busy preparing for a grand academic event.
The LTU 2025 Summit will be held in Haikou from April 13-16 this year under the theme of “Consultation, Contribution and Shared Benefits: Towards a Shared Future of Higher Education for the Tropical Regions”. This event aims to explore innovative pathways for digitalization-based education modernization. Meanwhile, it seeks to explore new approaches to the development of the tropical regions by focusing on such topics as high-yield tropical agriculture and rural development, One Health and tropical disease prevention and control, mutual learning among civilizations and digital humanities, blue carbon technology and green development.
“Since the establishment of the LTU, HNU has strengthened its cooperation with other members, striving to empower the development of tropical regions through joint education programs, collaborative R&D and professional services, and cultural exchanges,” said the senior official from the Office of International Cooperation and Exchange, HNU.
In June 2024, HNU-RUA Confucius Institute was officially inaugurated. By integrating two universities’ respective strengths, it pioneers a “Chinese Language plus Tropical Agriculture” program, deepening the cooperation in tropical high-efficiency agriculture.
In response to the development needs of the tropical regions, members of the LTU have made joint efforts in scientific research. For instance, HNU has co-constructed the “Dugong and Seagrass Meadow Research Station” with the Prince of Songkla University in Thailand and the “the Research Base of Zimbabwe, Hainan International Joint Research Center for the Control and Prevention of Environmental Pollution on Tropical Islands” with the University of Zimbabwe. Besides, the “Hainan University Tuber Production Equipment Research Center (Aid Project to Zimbabwe)” has been established in Zimbabwe.
“Our current research portfolio includes 12 ongoing R&D projects, 17 prospective collaborative projects, and 7 proposed technology transfer projects. These projects involve disciplines like tropical agriculture, ecological environment, and food science. We hope to tackle the tough challenges facing the tropical regions,” said the senior official.
A series of colorful cultural exchange activities have served as a bridge for young scholars in the tropical regions to learn from each other.
In November 2024, to celebrate the first anniversary of the LTU, young scholars from member universities and research institutions such as Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan traveled to Hainan for a one-week of cultural exchanges. This event has helped them experience the natural beauty and the cultural charm of Hainan, as well as the vitality of the Hainan Free Trade Port.
Enhancing Collaboration and Unity
Highlighting Unique Value and Development Potential
A 14-day training program on tropical infectious disease prevention and control was held in Haikou for 17 researchers and technologists from 10 countries, including Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos. Multiple experts shared their valuable research achievements and practical experiences in tropical disease control with the trainees.
HNMU has signed framework cooperation agreements with organizations including the WHO, Thailand’s Mahidol University, and the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute to enhance cooperation in tropical medicine education and research.
In recent years, HNMU has actively leveraged the BRTMA to establish partnerships with universities, research institutions, and hospitals in more than 30 countries along the Belt and Road. Moreover, through organizing foreign-aid projects and training programs on tropical diseases under China’s ministerial-level initiatives, it has continuously boosted China’s global influence in tropical disease prevention and control.
How can the strengths of the two alliances be synergized and transformed into the models of global education and scientific collaboration and the important platforms for major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics?
According to Liang Haiming, President of Hainan University Belt and Road Research Institute, the LTU’s initiatives can be anchored in the Hainan FTP development through expanding membership, launching special scholarship programs for the tropical regions and boosting joint R&D and knowledge transfer.
“For instance, we can concentrate on priority fields including education, sci-tech, healthcare, environmental protection, energy, economy, climate change, and food security. By establishing research funds to support interdisciplinary and cross-border collaborative research, we can facilitate cross-sector innovation and accelerate the commercialization and application of sci-tech achievements,” Liang said.
It is also vital to strengthen the publicity and promotion of these two alliances. According to Liang, diversified communication channels such as domestic and international media resources, social media platforms, academic conferences, and high-level forums can be fully utilized to systematically showcase the collaborative achievements, sci-tech innovations, and talent-nurturing practices of the alliances’ members. This multi-channel approach will help effectively tell stories of cooperation while highlighting the unique value and development potential of the alliances.
Furthermore, the advantages of the preferential policies for Hainan FTP can play a significant part. Through the development of the Hainan FTP, we can enhance collaborations with universities, research institutions, and NGOs in tropical regions. Such endeavors can help create a close-knit community of educational and scientific cooperation, thereby providing intellectual support and innovative momentum for the shared development across tropical regions.
Source from Education Week
Translated by: Fu Ya
Proofread by Yang Jie
