One of the thirteen key industrial parks in south China’s Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP), the Li’an International Education Pilot Zone in Lingshui is home to many international colleges and universities. The park is both a pilot zone for the country’s educational reform and innovation as well as a showcase for Sino-foreign cooperative education.

Aerial view of the Li’an International Education Pilot Zone in Lingshui, Hainan. (Photo: Hainan Daily)

Receiving an international education here in Hainan

The Hainan Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences (BiUH), one of the colleges in the Lingshui Li’an International Education Pilot Zone, opened to students in September 2023. The school is the first higher education institution in the Chinese mainland founded independently by an international university.

The welcoming ceremony for the first BiUH freshmen was held in September, 2023. (Photo: BiUH)

Born in Zibo, Shandong Province, 34-year-old Yang Xinyuan is now a mathematics teacher for digital technology majors in BiUH. Yang gained his master and doctoral degrees from the University of Waterloo in Canada, and then engaged in a short-term research program in the Energy Research Center of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US.

In December 2023, Yang, as an excellent international scholar, was invited to visit several of Hainan FTP’s key industrial parks in Haikou, Lingshui, and Sanya, and was impressed by the “work-integrated” teaching mode (University-Industry Collaborative Talent Training Model) applied by BiUH in Lingshui.

Yang Xinyuan (right) holds discussions with students after class. (Photo: Lin Shitang/Hinews)

“The teaching mode focuses on fostering innovative, application-oriented talent. With the completion of the school’s education plans, students can obtain degrees from both Chinese and German schools,” said Yang. He added that equipped with teaching resources from Germany’s Hochschule Bielefeld – University of Applied Sciences and Arts, BiUH gives students access to authentic international education in Hainan.

“The Li’an Pilot Zone is an innovative base for educational cooperation between domestic and international schools, as well as a place where theory combines with practical application. Students can not only enjoy the high-quality educational resources but also experience the diverse cultures of many different countries.” The FTP’s open policies in education and innovative, international platforms were the deciding factor for Yang as he made the choice to stay and work in BiUH, leaving his post-doctoral position in North America.

Looking forward, Yang plans to shift his research towards digital development and smart governance in the Hainan FTP in order to cultivate more application-oriented students with innovative spirits.

An innovative school operating model: “shared public facilities and dedicated smaller schools”

One day in April, students from different colleges including the Beijing Sport University and BiUH took a bodybuilding class together in the shared stadium of the Li’an Pilot Zone.

“This is the innovative pilot zone school operating model called ‘shared public facilities and dedicated smaller schools’.” A representative of the pilot zone explained that all colleges and universities operating here share the public library, teaching buildings, sports venues, student dormitories, and other public facilities, and can use the resources as best fits their own unique needs and goals.

The pilot zone promotes the educational integration of colleges and universities through interdisciplinary blending, a connection between liberal arts and science, shared course offerings, mutual recognition of credits, interaction between teachers and students, and consultation on management, so as to foster competent international and innovative talent for the future.

“The ‘sharing of public facilities’ provides a great learning environment for us,” said Peng Simin, a student in BiUH. She is happy to take classes with students from other colleges in the zone, enabling her to make friends who come from different colleges and cultures.

Another BiUH student, Li Minglu, appreciates the opportunity to select courses from other universities in the zone, giving him the chance to broaden his knowledge base to many different fields. He hopes to participate in more international communication programs to enhance his professional capacities and global vision.

Thanks to cutting edge innovative educational practices, the Li’an Pilot Zone has become a showcase for the deep integration of international education, technological research & development, and educational industry development.