The HNU-ASU International College at Hainan University (HAIC), formerly known as the HNU-ASU Joint International Tourism College, has been named one of the 2025 outstanding Sino-foreign cooperative educational institutions, according to the results released by the Chinese-Foreign Joint Education Committee on June 25. 

This marks another prestigious recognition for the college, which was previously selected as an outstanding example among Sino-foreign cooperative educational institutions in 2024.

In March 2025, the college received official approval from China’s Ministry of Education to change its name and expand its academic offerings by adding a dual-degree undergraduate program in E-commerce. This milestone signifies a major step forward in the college’s academic development — from a focus on tourism to a broader, more inclusive and interdisciplinary framework.

The HAIC is included in the 2025 outstanding Sino-foreign cooperative educational institutions list. [Photo/WeChat account: HAIC] 

Established in 2017, the HAIC is the first and currently only Sino-foreign joint educational institution in Hainan province with a complete academic cycle and has produced five classes of graduates. It is a partnership between Hainan University and Arizona State University (ASU), a top-tier US public research university that has been named the Most Innovative University in the US by US News & World Report for 10 consecutive years (2016–25). 

The college currently offers four dual-degree undergraduate programs: Hotel Management (ASU major: Tourism Development and Management, TDM), Human Geography and Urban-Rural Planning (ASU major: Parks, Recreation and Sport Management, PRSM), Public Administration (ASU major: Public Service and Public Policy, PSPP) and E-commerce (ASU major: Information Technology, IT). It also offers two master’s programs in Tourism Management (ASU major: Community Resources and Development, CRD) and Public Administration (ASU major: Master of Public Administration, MPA). 

All programs follow a “dual enrollment, dual degree, 4+0” model, through which the college has gradually developed a highly internationalized framework for Sino-foreign cooperative education. 

All of the HAIC faculty members have an overseas educational background, with more than 95 percent holding doctoral degrees. They come from more than 20 countries and regions, including the United Kingdom, the United States and Germany. Among the five graduating classes to date, the college has achieved a dual-degree conferral rate of over 97 percent, with more than 70 percent of graduates pursuing further studies. 

The 2025 evaluation, organized by the Chinese-Foreign Joint Education Committee, considered multiple factors including institutional level, quality of imported academic resources, talent cultivation, accolades and recognition, as well as reputation within the industry. Key evaluation criteria emphasized the institutions’ capacity for international talent development, integration and innovation, contribution to local economic and social progress and their leadership and demonstration effect in advancing high-quality development.