During the past 2020-2021 academic year, Hainan University (HNU) has made significant progress in scientific research and social services.

In 2021, HNU was approved by the National Natural Science Foundation of China for 150 projects, accounting for 57 percent of the total number of approved projects in Hainan province. The approved funding was 52.95 million yuan ($8.2 million), an increase of 50.13 percent year on year.

HNU declared 159 humanities and social sciences projects, including 26 projects that received the National Social Science Fund in 2020.

HNU has made significant progress in the construction of scientific research platforms and institutions. There are 11 Hainan provincial academician workstations, and the Sanya Nanfan Research Institute of Hainan University was officially inaugurated and fully integrated into the construction of the Yazhou Bay Seed Laboratory, striving to become a national strategic scientific and technological force.

The university has continuously improved its social service capabilities. During the past academic year, it submitted 87 legislative proposals to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, and drafted more than 10 local regulations including the "Regulations on Fair Competition of Hainan Free Trade Port." The university completed the evaluation work for the "Catalogue of Encouraged Industries of Hainan FTP," and the research reports on the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) for the economic and social development of Hainan province.