Hainan University HNU

The tropical island of Hainan is often called “China’s Hawai’i.” It’s largest city, Haikou, is referred to by locals as “Coconut City.” The area certainly lives up to its reputation with beautiful white sand beaches, palm trees, and surfboards everywhere. Haikou is also home to one of China’s most important comprehensive universities—Hainan University. Hainan University offers a broad selection of degrees but is most famous for its courses in fields specific to the region—rubber production, tropical agriculture, tourism, oceanography, and special administrative regions.

Hainan University was founded in 1983 and in 2007 it merged with the South China University of Tropical Agriculture. Although the name Hainan University was maintained after the merger, the former University of Tropical Agriculture was much older and has a large influence on the post-merger institution. The South China University of Tropical Agriculture was founded in 1958 in response to a rubber embargo that had been placed on China. For 30 years, this institution researched rubber production and tropical agriculture and that legacy has contributed to Hainan University’s continuing legacy in those fields.

Today’s Hainan University has worked to become a truly comprehensive institution and the university currently offers degrees across 9 disciplines: philosophy, economics, law, literature, natural sciences, agriculture, engineering, and management. The school offers 74 undergraduate programs, 21 postgraduate programs, and 5 PhD Programs. Currently, the school has a total of 40,737 students, 320 of which are international students.

Hainan University has formal ties with over 80 well-known institutions in over 20 countries around the world. The university has two policies related to international exchange: a “Go Out Policy” and a “Come In Policy.” Hundreds of visiting scholars lecture at the university through the Come In Policy, including Zhores I. Alferov, the Nobel laureate in physics.

Hainan University has three campuses. The main campus is the Haidian Campus, located on Haikou’s Haidian Island. There are also two smaller branch campuses in Chengxi and Danzhou.

Students looking to study at a comprehensive university in a beautiful tropical environment should strongly consider applying to Hainan University. Students who wish to study issues specifically related to the tropics—especially rubber production and tropical agriculture—will be glad to know that Hainan University has an outstanding reputation in those fields.