Higher education consultancy ShanghaiRanking released the 2025 Global Ranking of Academic Subjects on Nov 18. Hainan University made significant progress, with 22 of its disciplines ranked, placing 53rd nationwide, an impressive 340 percent increase from the beginning of the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25) when only five disciplines made the list. 

Twenty-two of Hainan University’s disciplines are ranked among the 2025 Global Ranking of Academic Subjects. [Photo/WeChat account: HAIC] 

Among these, Agricultural Sciences, Food Science & Technology and Hospitality & Tourism Management have successfully entered the world’s top 50, while Marine/Ocean Engineering also advanced into the world’s top 100. This achievement underscores the university’s commitment to pursuing scholarly distinction, expanding research capabilities and improving its international influence. 

ASU, the HAIC’s partner university, has multiple disciplines ranked globally, with Management in the top 10 and Geography and Environmental Science & Engineering in the top 30. [Photo/WeChat account: HAIC] 

In addition to its own achievements, the HNU-ASU International College (HAIC) under Hainan University, a Sino-foreign cooperative educational institution, has also contributed to this success. The college’s partner university, Arizona State University (ASU), performed exceptionally well in the ranking, with its Management program ranking among the top 10 globally. ASU’s Geography and Environmental Science & Engineering programs also made it into the top 30 worldwide. This reflects the strength of the collaboration between Hainan University and ASU, demonstrating the effectiveness of cooperative education in fostering academic excellence. 

The 2025 Global Ranking of Academic Subjects uses a comprehensive evaluation system that is based on nine objective indicators grouped into five categories: world-class faculty, world-class research output, high-quality research, research impact and international collaboration. It assesses the global competitiveness of disciplines across the major fields of Natural Sciences, Engineering, Life Sciences, Medical Sciences and Social Sciences.

Global Ranking of Academic Subjects is based on objective indicators in five categories: world-class faculty, world-class research output, high-quality research, research impact and international collaboration. [Photo/WeChat account: HAIC]