Institutional Opening-up and Differentiated Breakthrough: A SWOT Profile of Hainan Higher Education Competitiveness

Abstract

In the critical period where the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) is advancing from “policy implementation” to “customs closure operation”, institutional opening-up has become the core engine driving the high-quality development of regional higher education. Anchored in the new context of institutional opening-up, this paper utilizes the SWOT analysis method to systematically examine the realistic foundation and developmental trends of the core competitiveness of Hainan higher education. The study finds that while Hainan higher education enjoys the first-mover advantages of overlapping FTP policy dividends and distinct geographical characteristics, it simultaneously faces the dual challenges of a weak disciplinary foundation, lagging intensive development, and intensified external regional competition. The entry into force of RCEP and the facilitation of factor flow brought by the customs closure operation provide strategic opportunities for enhancing capacity in education services trade. Based on this, the paper proposes improvement pathways: differentiating to build the “Study in Hainan” brand, collaboratively constructing research and innovation alliances, deepening the mechanism of industry-education integration, and promoting the modernization of education governance capabilities. The aim is to activate endogenous dynamics through institutional integration and innovation, building a characteristic higher education system with international competitiveness, and providing a “Hainan Paradigm” for the nation to explore new models of opening up in education.