In line with President Xi Jinping’s important directives on education and his instruction of “supporting Hainan University in developing world-class disciplines”, Hainan University (HNU) has been exploring pathways for top-notch innovative talent cultivation, and launching an educational reform centered on three key initiatives—a comprehensive credit system, the establishment of collaborative innovation centers, and a residential college system. These initiatives stand as part of contribution to both China’s national strategy of building an education powerhouse and the development of Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP).
Strengthening integrated design and improving systems and mechanisms for talent development
HNU has plans in place for carrying out “Three Major Reforms”, including Implementation Plan for Hainan University Top-Notch Innovative Talent Cultivation and more than 100 supporting management regulations and incentive measures. These efforts will constantly optimize the University’s education mode, operation, management, and supporting mechanism. Keeping its commitment of “Hainan’s Needs, HNU’s Deeds”, the University is implementing “Four Initiatives” (First-Class Undergraduate Education Initiative, World-Class Discipline Initiative, Serve Hainan Initiative, and HNU Global Partnership Initiative) and “Three Major Projects” (Education Digitalization Project, Resource Management Project, and Safe & Beautiful Campus Project). These plans and projects help further clarify the discipline development priorities and intensify relevant supporting measures. HNU has developed a new talent-cultivation paradigm integrating school, collaborative innovation center and college. In this paradigm, the comprehensive credit system empowers students with greater autonomy in selecting courses and majors, the collaborative innovation centers bridge the gap between research and education, effectively transforming high-quality scientific research resources into teaching assets, and the residential college system fosters a holistic educational ecosystem featuring all-member, whole-process, and all-dimension, laying a solid foundation for talent cultivation.
Highlighting personalized education and deepening credit system reform
HNU is committed to providing personalized education for students, and adopts a comprehensive credit system which highlights the freedom of course enrollment with credit as measurement for students’ performance. Under this framework, students may graduate upon earning the required minimum credits, empowering them to customize their courses, majors, and study schedules. To further enhance flexibility, restrictions on choosing majors have been relaxed through innovative credit-earning mechanisms, such as “credit by examination”, “credit transfer” and “core curricula requirements”. Students are granted 7 opportunities to change their majors throughout their undergraduate program. A multi-dimensional evaluation framework has been established, supported by a five-tier academic performance assessment system as outlined in the Undergraduate Student Tiered Academic Evaluation Management Measures. The evaluation system incorporates disciplinary competition, research innovation, internship, and academic achievements, encouraging students to develop well-rounded competencies beyond a narrow focus on GPA. Based on the curriculum framework under the comprehensive credit system, the University has improved its course planning, optimized compulsory course requirements and increased elective courses, exploring a new model of “AI+ Curriculum”. It is establishing a multi-type course architecture integrating “required courses + elective courses”, “liberal arts courses + specialized courses”, and “theoretical courses + practical courses”. By systematically restructuring 76 majors and 2,000+ courses, HNU has successfully implemented a fully personalized curriculum.
Strengthening organized research to maximize the potential of collaborative innovation centers
To address national strategic priorities and Hainan FTP’s development needs, HNU has reengineered its research model by establishing seven interdisciplinary innovation centers (Nanfan and Tropical High-Efficiency Agriculture, Tropical Marine Science and Technology, Digital Intelligence Technology, Eco-Civilization, One Health, FTP Development and Institutional Innovation, and Culture and Tourism). This initiative has created a “collaborative innovation system” for scientific and technological breakthrough, talent training, and commercialization of research findings. Through interdisciplinary integration and research-education convergence, HNU facilitates postgraduate students’ participation in scientific innovation teams upon their admission. The collaborative innovation centers provide them with rigorous scientific training and innovation experience. This approach cultivates exceptional professionals with theoretical sophistication and problem-solving capabilities. In pursuit of these objectives, the University will implement a strategic array of focused research programs designed to drive disciplinary innovation, each comprising a selective cohort of roughly 20 top undergraduate students. By implementing seamless bachelor-to-graduate articulation pathways (including BS-MS and BS-PhD integrated programs), these initiatives deliver personalized academic trajectories precisely calibrated to students’ demonstrated potential. Through strategic coordination of interdisciplinary collaborative innovation centers, priority disciplines, and principal research teams, HNU is advancing a comprehensive research ecosystem encompassing structured inquiry, infrastructure development, grant incentives, and technology transfer. It has secured approval to set up 5 national-level research platforms, accelerating the university’s scientific and technological innovation. To strengthen the social service system, a tiered “1+2+X” system is being developed, with university-affiliated sci-tech parks as the hub, dual-driven by industrial institutes and local research institutions, and complemented by other components including science and technology backyards, technical specialists, engineering centers, university-enterprise collaboration platforms, and new-type think tanks. This framework is designed to simultaneously advance workforce development, knowledge transfer, and industrial upgrading—three critical contributions to Hainan FTP’s development.
Implementing “One-Stop” management to unleash the vitality of the residential college system
HNU has established 16 residential colleges, implementing an innovative “One-Stop” management model that integrates education, student services, and talent development. This comprehensive approach harnesses the power of learning communities to maximize student potential and enhance holistic development. Under the “One-Stop” community management framework, HNU appoints senior administrators as residential college deans to strengthen governance, moral education, and supportive services. To support holistic development, the University equips undergraduates with a three-tier support system: faculty academic advisors, professional external mentors, and trained peer tutors—delivering comprehensive academic, professional, and psychological guidance. All counselors are stationed in student dormitories, mainly taking the job of moral education. The residential college enhances its educational role through signature programs like the Culture Festival, “Seeking Truth with a Mentor”, and “Think & Do Forum” while transforming dormitories from living spaces into learning environments. The University has implemented a comprehensive general education framework combining designed courses, liberal arts seminars, and thematic activities. This system strengthens core offerings including Military Theory, Labor Education, and Mental Health, while over 30 on-and off-campus practice bases provide experiential learning opportunities. Enhanced by flagship programs including the “Distinguished Scientist Lecture Series” and “Luminaries in Humanities Forum”, the Liberal Arts Seminar is continuously optimized, systematically incorporating scientific rigor, innovative approaches, and international outlooks to elevate talent development.
Translated by Liu Ying
Proofread by Chen Chuanxian
