Summary

As part of a recently-launched “100-day campaign to attract businesses”, China’s Hainan province has announced seven major policies in the education sector and is encouraging both domestic and overseas educational institutions to express their interest. Among other policies, the provincial government is keen to attract leading overseas universities to set up joint institutes in Hainan and also welcomes new international schools.

The 100-day campaign follows central government announcements in April that Hainan – an island province in the south of China – will become the country’s largest free trade zone by 2020. Attracting top domestic and overseas businesses is crucial to developing Hainan’s economy, which lags behind more developed parts of the country and currently relies heavily on tourism an agriculture. As a result, Hainan is looking to attract one million new residents by 2025, including a “large number” of foreigners.

The seven educational policies promoted by the provincial government in May 2018 include:

• Attracting top Chinese universities – especially “dual first class” institutions – to set up branch campuses, research institutes, incubators and research commercialisation bases in Haikou, Sanya and Lingshui.  Specific fields for promotion include marine, tropical agriculture, aerospace and the creative arts.
• Encouraging top overseas universities to set up TNE joint institutes in Hainan, especially as part of an “international education island” project in Lingshui, in partnership with HEIs from Hainan or elsewhere in China.
• To continue the “one city two schools one kindergarten” policy of introducing high-quality educational resources in every city and county in the province.
• To encourage new international schools – including international schools aimed at both Chinese and overseas citizens – to be established in the cities of Haikou, Sanya, Qionghai and Danzhou.
• To encourage and support the establishment of non-profit private universities based on the model of West Lake University, a recently-established institution in Hangzhou which is aiming to be China’s “first world-class private research university”.
• To support worldwide top 500 enterprises from both China and overseas to set up vocational training institutions and vocational schools in Hainan, including through allowing overseas educational institutions and other organisations to establish solely-owned vocational training institutions
• To encourage well-known educational institutions to establish and develop bases for short-term “study tourism” for both domestic and international students.

Specific investment projects and contacts can be checked on the official website of the provincial education department.

Analysis by Kevin Prest

Hainan sees improvements to its education sector as important to attract the highly-skilled population it needs to meet its economic development goals. Quality international schools will be an important factor for foreign professionals and Chinese returnees considering coming to work in Hainan; in the longer term expanding higher education options will help to keep skilled locals in the province rather than leaving for university.

Hainan’s designation as a free trade zone means that its policies to attract international education institutions are in line with central government priorities. This means that, as well as support from provincial education authorities, the national-level Ministry of Education is also likely to look favourably on UK education institutions’ cooperation activities in Hainan.

At the same time, UK education institutions should bear in mind that Hainan is one of China’s less-developed provinces, with significantly lower average incomes than the more urbanised parts of the country. Demand for international education will depend on how successful the province is in attracting leading companies and highly-skilled professionals.

Sources

1. Hainan Education Bureau announces seven major projects as part of the “100 day campaign to attract businesses” (Hainan provincial government, in Chinese): http://www.hainan.gov.cn/hn/yw/zwdt/tj/201805/t20180525_2642215.html

2. Hainan launches 100 day investor initiative (China Daily): http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201805/21/WS5b021777a3103f6866ee9836.html

3. Hainan to be key pilot free trade zone (China Daily): http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201804/14/WS5ad13c50a3105cdcf65183e9.html

4. ‘China’s Hawaii’ looking for 1 million new residents (South China Morning Post): http://www.scmp.com/news/china/economy/article/2146099/chinas-hawaii-looking-1-million-new-residents-more-population