Summary

In early July 2019 China's Ministry of Education and the Hainan provincial government jointly issued a document titled "On support for implementing the deepening of educational reform in Hainan". Implementation of Hainan's "International Education Island" policy, which aims to attract overseas educational institutions to the province, is a core part of this plan.

The plan calls for the provincial-level government and the Ministry of Education to work together to build a joint approval system for joint programmes and institutes at the bachelor's degree level and above, in order to support partnerships involving world-class overseas universities.

It specifically calls for support or encouragement of international education in several sectors:

• Establishment of a Sino-foreign joint institution with independent legal entity in the field of medicine and healthcare. (This classification refers to a joint university with its own degree-awarding powers, as opposed to the majority of joint institutes in the country which operate as part of a parent Chinese university.)

• Establishment of international kindergartens and international high schools, as well as international schools aimed at overseas passport holders. (As with other parts of China, schools offering compulsory primary and lower secondary education to local citizens must follow the Chinese curriculum)

• Establishment of laboratories and research institutes of leading overseas and domestic universities in Hainan's key priority areas such as the ocean economy, tropical agriculture, healthcare, tourism and culture.

• A pilot project allowing an overseas engineering-focused university or vocational college to independently establish a branch in Hainan, "when conditions are mature".

Aside from attracting overseas institutions to the province, other education internationalisation plans include attracting more international students to Hainan through innovative scholarship programmes; developing professional training in the tourism and hospitality sectors aimed at overseas citizens; enhancing cooperation as part of the Belt and Road initiative; and encouraging international students who earn a master's degree in China to stay in Hainan through the provision of permanent residence. The plan sets a goal of "fully launching" the International Education Island project by 2020 and becoming a world leader in terms of education internationalisation by 2035.

Analysis by Kevin Prest, Senior Analyst, British Council International Education Services

Hainan's International Education Island plan shows that provincial authorities have a very positive attitude towards attracting overseas education resources at both the basic and higher education levels. Plans for joint approval between provincial and national authorities will likely mean more flexible approval for higher education partnerships compared to other parts of the country.

On the other hand, UK education providers should bear in mind that Hainan is not the only province looking to develop the internationalisation of its education sector. The province has comparatively limited capacity and fewer resources than many other parts of China, and interviews with agents show that students in Hainan tend to have relatively low interest in studying overseas.

Many of the relevant issues surrounding opportunities in Hainan were discussed in a report published earlier this year by the British Council's International Education Services team. This report can be found through the link below.

In the longer term it is worth paying attention to the plan to allow an overseas HEI to set up an independent branch in Hainan. This would be a major departure from previous Chinese policy as overseas higher education institutions can currently only deliver education in cooperation with a local partner.

Sources

1. Ministry of Education & Hainan Provincial Government - On support for implementing the deepening of educational reform in Hainan (in Chinese): http://www.moe.gov.cn/srcsite/A03/moe_1892/moe_630/201907/t20190702_388674.html

2. British Council International Education Services - Education development in China’s Hainan Free Trade Area: opportunities for UK education institutions (February 2019): https://education-services.britishcouncil.org/news/reports/education-development-china%E2%80%99s-hainan-free-trade-area-opportunities-uk-education