Building a Free Trade Port with Chinese characteristics in Hainan is a major strategic decision personally planned, deployed, and promoted by General Secretary Xi Jinping, which focuses on the overall domestic and international situations, and the promotion of the innovative development of socialism with Chinese characteristics. On April 2022, during his inspection of Hainan, General Secretary Xi Jinping demanded to accelerate the construction of a Chinese-characteristic Free Trade Port with global influence, which aimed to make Hainan a demonstration of China's reform and opening up in the new era, transforming the Hainan Free Trade Port into a captivating showcase of the Chinese model, and endowing it with a new and more important mission. The construction of Hainan Free Trade Port requires the support from high-level universities as well as a robust healthcare and public health system.

As the only public medical university in Hainan Free Trade Port, Hainan Medical University not only undertakes the crucial mission of strengthening higher education in the port but also serves as a vital foundation for the construction of a higher level of health island. To better serve the construction of Free Trade Port and national strategies like the maritime power and the South China Sea security, the university fully leverages Hainan's geographical resources and policy advantages. It strives to assist in the construction of＇healthy Hainan＇ and contribute to the broader goal of＇healthy China＇. Accelerating the development of tropical medicine and contributing to the ＇Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)＇, especially the construction of a community with a shared future for human health in Southeast Asia, are integral aspects of Hainan Medical University’s commitment. With such weighty responsibilities, the university is unwavering in its dedication.

Hainan Medical University is located in Haikou, the capital of Hainan Province, a tropical coastal city known as the Coconut City. It traces its roots back to the establishment of the Haiqiang School of Medical and Technical Studies in 1947 and the founding of the Private Hainan University Medicine College in 1948. The university currently encompasses three campuses : Chengxi (main campus), Guilinyang (new campus), and Longhua, covering an area of 1416.71 mu. Adhering to the core values of＇Be Honest, Be Rigorous, Be Erudite, Be Harmonious＇in its motto, the university continually promotes the spirit of＇self-improvement, unity and progress, and vigorous endeavors＇. It has developed a comprehensive medical education system integrating teaching, clinical practice, research, international cooperation, social services, and cultural heritage. With a history of nurturing over 70,000 graduates, the university holds the distinction of being one of the first pilot universities in the country for the Excellent Doctor Education Program. It is also among the first batch of undergraduate institutions undergoing comprehensive professional reform as part of the Ministry of Education’s initiatives. Recognized as a key construction unit for high-level universities with distinctive characteristics in Hainan Province, and serving as the lead unit for the National Emergency Medical Rescue Team(Hainan), the university has entered into a new era of independently cultivating high-level medical talents in Hainan Province.

Adhering to the philosophy of＇prioritizing local needs, and emphasizing both undergraduate and graduate education＇, the university is committed to a high-quality development strategy. It has formed a comprehensive and multi-level talent cultivation system that enrolls students nationwide, covering full-time undergraduate and postgraduate education, as well as education for international students, adult learners, and continuing education. The current total enrollment of full-time students is 15,301 including 12,397 undergraduates and 2001 doctoral and master's students. Students have achieved national recognition, winning prizes in 32 national competitions, such as National Pharmaceutical and Traditional Medicine Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competitions, National Undergraduate Mathematical Contest in Modeling, National Collegiate Computing Competition, and International Medical School Physiology Quiz in China. There are 11,816 faculty and staff, including 1,233 full-time teachers. Among the full-time teachers, 806 are based at the main campus, with 481 holding senior professional titles, 166 being professors, and approximately 54.22% holding doctoral degrees. The faculty includes distinguished individuals such as 1 academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 3 recipients of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, and other 21 national talents.

Adhering to the principles of＇medicine and teaching combination and interdisciplinary approach＇, the university upholds a strategy of strengthening education to build a high standard academic institution. The university offers 36 undergraduate majors covering 4 disciplines including medicine, science, management and engineering. It boasts 5 national first-class undergraduate program construction sites, 2 nationally distinctive majors and 3 national first-class undergraduate Courses. Additionally, the university has been recognized with 1 National Clinical Teaching and Training Demonstration Center and 1 National Clinical (traditional Chinese medicine clinical) Teaching and Training Demonstration Center. The university has 3 affiliated hospitals, namely the Affiliated Hainan Hospital (Hainan Provincial People's Hospital), the First Affiliated Hospital, and the Second Affiliated Hospital, which are the largest tertiary A hospitals in Hainan province. The number of outpatient and emergency visits is 5.23 million, and the number discharged patients is 298600, accounting for 33.80% and 35.15% of the whole province respectively. They have made significant contributions to＇treatment for serious illnesses can be provided in the island＇ policy and clinical teaching. In addition, the university has 10 non-directly affiliated hospitals and 2 cooperative CDCs, providing strong support for clinical teaching. It has 21 national key clinical specialties. Clinical medicine ranks in the top 5‰ of ESI disciplines. There are 5 disciplines authorized to offer doctoral degree program, 15 disciplines authorized to offer master degree program.

Adhering to the concept of＇focusing on characteristics, servicing the local area＇, insisting on the strategy of strengthening the university through science and technology. The university has established 3 key laboratories of the Ministry of Education, 1 engineering research center of the Ministry of Education, 1 key laboratory of National Health Commission (NHC) . In the past five years, 283 projects have been funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and 431 provincial scientific research projects have been approved. 10593 papers have been published in domestic and foreign academic journals as the first author or corresponding author, among which, 3011 papers have been included in SCI,  and 4 papers published in the three top journals of Cell, Nature and Science. The university has won 36 provincial and ministerial level awards and above, including 6 first prizes of Natural Science Award of Hainan Province and Science and Technology Progress Award of Hainan Province. The university sponsors 6 all-English journals, among which, the two all-English international tropical medicine journals are indexed by SCI.

Adhering to the concept of＇ all rivers run into sea and pursuing excellence＇, insisting on the strategy of open schooling. The university has established cooperative relationships with well-known universities both at home and abroad, including the University of Nebraska in the US, the University of Basel in Switzerland, Mahidol University in Thailand, the University of Hong Kong, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, and Nanjing Medical University. It has jointly established＇ICAC＇with American Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation, and RUIJIN Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. The UWE College of Hainan Medical University, a Chinese-foreign cooperative educational institution, was jointly established with the University of the West of England in the UK. The university has launched＇ The Belt and Road＇Tropical Medicine Alliance, consisting of 122 colleges and universities and scientific research institutions in 30 countries and regions, and has successfully held 6 sessions of the International Tropical Medicine Summit Forum.

Adhering to the concept of＇tackling tough through unity and struggle＇, insisting on the strategy of reform and innovation. In particular, on September 15, 2023, the CPC Hainan Provincial Committee and People’s Government of Hainan Province employed the famous medical educator, an academician of the CAS, former dean of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine and vice president of Shanghai Jiao Tong University，as the president of Hainan Medical University on a full-time basis, and issued the＇Measures of Hainan Provincial People's Government on supporting Hainan Medical University to Deepen Reform and Develop with High Quality＇, increasing policy and fiscal investment, relying on the school entity to operate Hainan Academy of Medical Sciences. Henceforth, with great courage, boldness and wisdom, Hainan Medical University emancipates the mind, takes innovative steps, launches a magnificent and unprecedented comprehensive reform, and presents a dynamic situation of unity and vitality. A group of talents at home and abroad with full feelings, entrepreneurial aspirations, creative power, innovative ability and a heart of cultivating have joined Hainan Medical University, and are working together to build Hainan Medical University into a beautiful business card that showcases the medical, scientific and educational achievements in the Free Trade Port.

The future of Hainan Medical University is promising.