China's first foreign-owned college to open in Hainan

Hainan province is set to become home to China's first institution of higher education wholly owned by a foreign university, after the island province recently inked a strategic cooperation agreement with Germany's Bielefeld University of Applied Science.

It is a key move by Hainan province in the implementation of its Overall Plan for the Construction of Hainan Free Trade Port, in terms of allowing high-level overseas universities of engineering, agriculture and medical sciences and vocational colleges to run schools independently in Hainan FTP as well as introduce high-level and high-quality overseas educational resources.

The new school will be established Hainan's Yangpu Economic Development Zone, a part of the Hainan FTP.

The institution will promote the construction of Hainan Free Trade Port and facilitate the development of German companies in China, while playing an important role in cultivating high-quality and international talents and promoting the establishment of high-quality German corporate resources in Hainan and comprehensive exchanges and cooperation between China and Germany.

The college plans to enroll its first group of students in 2021, with bachelor's and master's degrees in economic information, the enterprise economy, economic engineering, smart logistics, smart technology, mechatronics, application automation, data science, industrial design and service, business management and project management to be available for selection. 

The largest university of applied sciences in Germany's economically-developed Ostwestfalen-Lippe region, Bielefeld University of Applied Science offers 37 undergraduate programs, 25 master's programs and several vocational educational programs.     

Online cooperation agreement signing ceremony. [Photo/WeChat account HainaFTP]