On October 20, the Huayang Center for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance and the National Institute for South China Sea Studies (NISCSS) jointly hosted the 25th Huayang Talk in Haikou. Colin Dodds, President Emeritus of Saint Mary’s University in Canada and Professor of Finance at the Sobey School of Business, delivered a lecture titled “The Future of Cross-Border Higher Education: Hainan’s Opportunities in Its New Status as a Free Trade Port.”

Dodds noted that the launch of island-wide special customs operations at the Hainan Free Trade Port has created new opportunities for Hainan to further open up its education sector and attract high-quality international educational resources. He emphasized that Hainan should capitalize on its policy advantages while taking local conditions into account, deepen international cooperation in education, and develop a well-conceived roadmap for the future of cross-border higher education on the island.

During the Q&A session, Dodds addressed questions from participants on a range of topics, including how Hainan can improve the quality of higher education, the impact of artificial intelligence on cross-border higher education, and new approaches to international educational cooperation amid geopolitical shifts.

Wu Shicun, Chairman of the Huayang Center, attended the event and met with Dodds. The session was moderated by Qin Kai, Assistant Research Fellow of the Huayang Center, and attended by more than 30 representatives from the Huayang Center, NISCSS and other institutions.

During his visit, Dodds also toured the Huayang Center’s Haikou office and its South China Sea exhibition, and exchanged views with the Center's researchers. Xu Xiaodong, Executive Vice Chairman of the Huayang Center, also participated in these activities.