Innovation: A Defining Feature of Hainan FTP
Luo Qingming
At present, the evolution of changes with a magnitude unseen in a century is accelerating across the world. A new round of sci-tech revolution and industrial transformation featuring digitalization, networking, intelligence, and green development is advancing by leaps and bounds, ushering in an era of mega-science. In this context, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, stressed that “developing new quality productive forces is the intrinsic requirement and an important focus of promoting high quality development, and it is necessary to continue to well leverage innovation to speed up the development of new quality productive forces” “Sci-tech innovation lies at the heart of developing new quality productive forces.” Xi, also Chinese president, made the remark at a group study session of the Political Bureau of the 20th CPC Central Committee.
On December 5, 2023, when speaking at the Hainan Provincial Science and Technology Award Ceremony, Feng Fei, Secretary of CPC Hainan Provincial Committee, noted that “the globally influential free trade ports (FTP) highlight both the flux economy such as foreign trade and innovation, with the latter as their defining feature.” Hainan, aiming at building itself into the globally most influential FTP with Chinese characteristics, needs to make innovation a high priority, advancing new quality productive forces with sci-tech innovation, a lasting driving force for the high-quality development of the FTP.
Innovation: a defining feature of globally influential FTP
As well-developed FTPs in the world, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Singapore and Dubai weigh much on education, science and technology, and talent. We might find out the inherent feature of FTP with these cases.
(1) Hong Kong SAR. A world financial center, an international shipping hub and a regional trading center, Hong Kong is also a pacesetter in scientific innovation, education and a magnet of talent. According to the QS World University Rankings 2024, five universities (the University of Hong Kong (HKU), the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), and the City University of Hong Kong (CityU)) in Hong Kong, a metropolis with a population of just over 7.3 million, are ranked among the world’s top 100, manifesting the power of Hong Kong’s higher education.
(2) Singapore. As a country with land area of about 700 square kilometers, Singapore has always been fixing its deficiency in natural conditions through innovation. Adhering to the principle of “developing the nation with talent cultivation”, Singapore has been highly valuing education, following a dual-track system of general education and vocational education, integrating mass education with elite education. According to the QS World University Rankings 2024, National University of Singapore (NUS) is ranked 1st in Asia and 8th in the world, while Nanyang Technological University (NTU) is ranked 3rd in Asia and 26th in the world (tied with HKU).
(3) Dubai. Rather than relying solely on its natural endowment of oil and gas resources for development, Dubai has always shaped its education with strategic perspective, with more than 30 internationally known universities having campus in Dubai, including Imperial College London, Dubai, and University of Rochester, Dubai. The Dubai International Academic City (DIAC), the largest free higher-education zone in the world, is home to campus of 27 universities from all over the world, with enrollment of more than 27,500 students from more than 150 countries.
Innovation entails high-quality development of Hainan FTP
(1) Sci-tech innovation lies at the heart of developing new quality productive forces in the new era. With the booming of new round of sci-tech revolution and industrial transformation, science and technology has become the major driving force for economic and social development. When answering questions at a press conference during the Two Sessions (the yearly plenary meetings of the National People's Congress (NPC) and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC)) this year, Feng Fei indicated that developing new quality productive forces in Hainan needs to base on the local conditions and development rules while leveraging its unique natural environment and preferential policies, and the goal is to be a base to apply the new quality productive forces to practical operation. Currently, Hainan is mapping out a “4+3+3” modern industrial system. Sci-tech innovation is the engine of developing new quality productive forces and determines whether the modern industrial system can be built in a faster pace or not.
(2) Innovation is an inherent feature of Hainan FTP. The success of world-class FTPs owes to the synergy effect of education, science and technology, and talents. Hainan enjoys comparative strengths in seed industry, deep-sea exploration and aerospace sector even though it is not a scientifically developed province. Hainan is not among the top in terms of sci-tech innovation, but president Xi explicitly requires Hainan to speed up its institutional reform for science and technology. Therefore, Hainan should give full play to the role of its natural resources, geographic location, policy, and application scenarios so as to attract high-caliber minds in the field of science and technology to Hainan for their career development. With deepening the institutional reform of science and technology and releasing the potential of sci-tech innovation as a ladder, and supported by the development of emerging industries and future-oriented industries, Hainan will constantly improve new quality productive forces through sci-tech innovation.
(3) Innovation entails sustainable high-quality development of Hainan FTP. Rome was not built in a day. To build a world-class free trade port with Chinese characteristics requires decades-long timelines, which can not complete without the pillar role of a strong, modernized industrial system with new quality productive forces at its core. The fundamental approach to build Hainan FTP successfully is to advance reform and opening-up, and promote the development of new quality productive forces driven mainly by sci-tech innovation by following the new development philosophy. Hainan should continuously improve the sci-tech chain, innovation chain, industry chain and climate for innovation, reinforcing the foundation for high quality development with an innovation-driven strategy.
Synergy fostered by universities shores up innovation of Hainan FTP
(1) Building a service-oriented university for three engines of knowledge and innovation. Education, science and technology, and talent are three engines for knowledge and innovation. Economic development leans on science and technology, the progress in which counts on high-caliber talents, and the cultivation of which is based on education. Xi emphasized that the virtuous cycle of education, science and technology, and talents should be created in accordance with the requirements of developing new quality productive forces. As colleges and universities are places offering education, developing science and technology, and producing talents, they need to take it as their mission to advance new quality productivity forces and promote high quality development, enabling education to be a key contributor to economic and social development through talent cultivation and sci-tech innovation. As a “Double First-Class” (namely world-class universities and disciplines) university with tremendous support from People’s Government of Hainan Province, Hainan University (HNU) is striving to be a service-oriented university in the new era by furthering its reform in model of talent fostering, scientific research mechanism and new education paradigm. HNU will continue to make greater contributions to the development of new quality productive forces in Hainan and the construction of Hainan FTP by integrating teaching, application of scientific and technological advances, and recruitment of high-caliber talents, and improving its capacity to serve both the national and provincial economic and social development.
Firstly, we will cultivate high-caliber talents systematically. We will integrate the theoretical teaching with practice, applying research findings to cultivate talents, with a view to fostering sharpest minds. Based on the needs of national and social development, considering the trend of higher education and science and technology development, HNU will, with its favorable unique strength, revitalize agriculture-related programs, strengthen the development of engineering science, highlight science as basis, refine liberal arts, encourage development of medical science and enhance interdisciplinary integration, aiming to foster urgently needed high-level talents for our country.
Secondly, we will conduct innovative scientific research systematically. With goal-based and problem-oriented philosophy, we will conduct research focusing on tough topics so as to solve the problems related to national strategies and the scientific and technological difficulties in developing Hainan FTP. HNU will continue to build platforms in the areas of “Development of Free Trade Port and Institutional Innovation”, “Eco-civilization”, “Culture and Tourism”, “Seed Breeding and Tropical and Efficient Agriculture”, “Marine Science”, “One Health” and “Information Technology” so as to attract professionals with more research outcomes, and enhance commercialization of sci-tech achievements, contributing to the development of new quality productive forces in Hainan.
Last but not least, we will serve Hainan’s economic and social development systematically. HNU is committed to serving Hainan’s social and economic development. Whenever a demand arises in Hainan, HNU can always step forward and get things done. HNU will play its role as an integration hub in basic research, commercialization of sci-tech achievements, integrating industry, academia, research and application. In addition, HNU sets up institutes together with the local government and improves the sci-tech park establishment, giving full play to its role in promoting the in-depth integration of sci-tech innovation and industrial development in Hainan to strengthen cross-regional synergy of sci-tech innovation and industrial innovation.
(2) Deepening the institutional reform of science and technology and building a new community integrating industry-academia-research. In his inspection trip to Hainan in April 2022, president Xi instructed Hainan to accelerate the institutional reform of science and technology, strengthen the infrastructure development for scientific research and innovation, scale up commercialization of sci-tech achievements and stimulate the vitality of innovation. Xi’s instruction has charted a clear development direction for Hainan. The relations of production need to be corresponding to the development stage of productive forces. Hainan needs to carry out comprehensive reform and develop new production relations based on local conditions so as to achieve green development and innovation, and finally to develop new quality productive force. Specifically, we need to deepen institutional reform of science and technology and spur vitality of innovation.
Firstly, we need to deepen the institutional reform of science and technology with dedication and resolve. It is necessary to bring the advantage of the reform and opening-up of Hainan FTP into full play, and transform the strengths in institution, policy and natural ecology into workable and concrete initiatives.
We will map out a scientific strategy for regional economic development, exploring the integration of innovation, industry, capital, and talent chains on trial basis so as to support continuous upgrading of industry.
Secondly, we will establish a new community integrating industry, academia and research on experimental basis. Synergy edge fostered by universities should be leveraged to build a science and innovation ecosystem featuring collaboration and common values and a community integrating industry, academia and research. We need to connect education and industry and thus establish an ecosystem in which education, science and technology, and talent enjoy synergic development in a coordinated manner. In the community, we will introduce policies to better the income distribution system by allowing the market to evaluate and award the contributions based on intensity of work, knowledge, technology, management, capital data, and other factors of production, creating a sound atmosphere that encourages innovation and tolerates failure.
Thirdly, we will carry out a talent strategy with greater comparative edges. Xi Jinping stressed the need to improve the mechanism for the cultivation, introduction, appointment and reasonable flow of talents. Whether it is the high-quality construction of Hainan FTP or the leapfrog development of HNU, greatest minds are always the name of the game. We should make the most of the openness and preferential policies of Hainan FTP to innovate and optimize the talent management.
(3) Setting up a high-level platform for sci-tech opening-up and cooperation. Opening-up is the bread and butter of Hainan FTP. Hainan should accelerate the pace to identify new ways for serving and integrating into the new development pattern, attract and allocate global resources in a better manner, especially global high-quality medical, educational, scientific and technological, and human resources, to build it into a world-class platform for opening-up and cooperation.
Firstly, we will develop our capacity with national strategic importance. We need to keep in mind “the top priorities of the country” and Xi’s idea of “the scientific and technological development must target the global scientific frontiers, serve the main economic battlefield, strive to fulfill the significant needs of the country and benefit people’s lives and health.” Additionally, we should take advantages of Hainan in climate, marine resources, geographic location and natural environment, and establish national-level scientific research platforms, funding scientific projects in areas with abovementioned edges to build a new pacesetter of sci-tech innovation casting a long shadow at home and/or abroad.
Secondly, we will target at the global application of sci-tech achievements at the forefront. We will focus on common global challenges in the areas of ecological development, climate change, food security, marine carbon sink, and one health. We will establish international mechanism for sci-tech innovation and cooperation so as to enhance the exchange in the area of sci-tech. We try to be a magnet for global first-class sci-tech achievements and commercialize them in Hainan FTP, serving the purpose of creating a benchmark scientific project, a medley of global sharpest minds.
Thirdly, we will explore the total-factor collaborative innovation pattern between local government and university. We need to play an active part in building the community integrating industry, academia, and research, exploring new thinking, novel concepts and innovative mechanisms for high quality development. We will create a “community model” characterized by deep integration, mutual promotion and co-existence, and win-win cooperation.
Innovation is a defining feature of Hainan FTP. Hainan should inject lasting impetus into the high quality development of the FTP by continuously developing innovation-driven new quality productive forces. In cultivating and developing new quality productive forces, innovation is the core factor while education is the basis and comes before innovation. Xi Jinping once pointed out that “the world’s first-class universities thrive on serving the development of their countries”. In the context of Hainan FTP construction and the development of innovation-driven new quality productive forces, HNU must seize the precious opportunities and play a leading role as a hub of education, science and technology, and talents, shouldering its responsibility for developing new quality productive forces in Hainan FTP with sci-tech innovation.
(About the author: Luo Qingming, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, vice chairman of the Hainan Provincial Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and President of Hainan University)
Translated by Han Yunsheng
Proofread by Chen Chuanxian, Yang Jie
Source from http://news.hndaily.cn/html/2024-04/03/content_58470_17213130.htm
