Hainan Tropical Ocean University (HTOU) is granted as “China-ASEAN Education and Training Center” by Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Education, China, one of the ten “Educational Aid Centers” by Ministry of Education, China, master degree awarding institution with the approval of the State Council Academic Degree Committee and member university of Shanghai Cooperation Organization University. It serves as a cradle of talents cultivation for the minority area of south central Hainan and functions as a center for knowledge innovation, social service, culture inheritance and international cooperation and exchanges.

HTOU now has 18 schools offering 3 master programs, 51 undergraduate programs and 5 post-secondary programs. Its educational disciplines have expanded into 9 fields which are Liberal Arts, Sciences, Engineering, Management, Pedagogy, History, Art, Law and Agriculture, and has 19 marine majors such as marine sciences and has determined 6 key discipline orientations including Marine Humanity and History, Marine Tourism, Marine Management, Marine Food, Marine Information, Marine Biology, Ecology and Environment. It has formed a disciplinary system pattern of marine, tourism, ethnology and ecology.

HTOU now has 18,200 full-time students, including 140 postgraduates, 60 joint training postgraduates with Ocean University of China, 15,200 undergraduates, 2,800 students of post-secondary programs and 110 international students.

The university has accepted 300 international students from 15 countries in recent years, and launched dozens of exchange educational programs, including the 1st Sino-foreign education cooperation program in Hainan: Hainan-Austria Tourism Management Education Program. HTOU has recruited 25 foreign Experts from 13 countries, hosted over 20 international forums and attended 200 international conferences at home and abroad.