The School of Life and Health Sciences at Hainan University, formerly known as the School of Life Sciences, was renamed on October 23, 2023. It is the flagship unit of Hainan University's Collaborative Innovation Center for One Health. Upholding the "LIFE spirit" (Leading-Party building leadership, Innovation-Pioneering innovation, Fusion-Disciplinary infusion, Endeavor-Unity and progress), the School is committed to achieve high-quality development.
Currently, the School offers a doctorate program in Biology, a postdoctoral research station in Biology, a master's degree program in Biology, a master's degree program in Biotechnology and Engineering, as well as three undergraduate programs in Biological Science, Biotechnology, and Bioengineering. The undergraduate programs in Biological Science and Biotechnology are nationally recognized first-class programs, and the undergraduate program in Bioengineering is one of the characteristic specialties of Hainan Province. In 2009, the School was designated as the Provincial Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center for Biological Science and Technology. In 2019, it was established as the Innovative Talent Introduction Base for Tropical Biology and Medicine supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Education. In 2021, the Biology discipline was approved as a key characteristic discipline in Hainan Province. Further, in 2023, the Biology and Biochemistry disciplines offered by Hainan University were globally ranked among the top 1% according to ESI (Essential Science Indicators).
The School boasts 1 awardee of the National Talent Programme, 35 recipients of provincial and ministerial-level titles such as Distinguished Teacher of Hainan Province, National Baosteel Excellent Teacher, candidate for "515 Talents Project" of Hainan Province, Nanhai (South China Sea) Master, and High-level Talent of Hainan Province. Among the full-time faculty members, 93% hold senior professional titles, and 85% possess doctorate degrees. The School has established interdisciplinary research teams to address the major needs of advancing the construction of a Healthy China and a Healthy Hainan. Centered around the overarching goal of "improving public health and increasing life expectancy", the team will tackle complex health issues from a holistic perspective that encompasses "human-animals and plants-environment" interactions. The School sets its sights on the forefront of the One Health discipline, leveraging interdisciplinary collaboration to resolve crucial fundamental issues about biology. It conducts high-level research on risk factors, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment and prevention and control techniques for important diseases, including infectious and chronic non-communicable diseases. Moreover, the School conducts epidemiological investigations on major outbreaks such as African swine fever and dengue fever in Hainan, providing scientific evidence and technical support to build a healthy and ecological Hainan.
The School has leveraged its provincial and ministerial key laboratories to establish a research platform that spans from molecular and cellular investigations to analyses of individual and population-level phenomena, as well as from theoretical innovation to important applications. Over the past five years, the School has undertaken over 200 scientific projects of provincial and ministerial levels or above, including national key R&D programs, national major science and technology projects, major projects for the cultivation of genetically modified organisms, key projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation (NSFC), and key projects funded by the NSFC Joint Fund for Regional Innovation and Development. It has published 450 academic papers, secured 20 authorized patents, received 4 provincial and ministerial-level science and technology achievement awards, and published 12 monographs.
The School currently offers one exemplary course in ideological and political education designated by the Ministry of Education, helmed by three outstanding teachers and one teaching team, operates a virtual teaching and research sub-lab for basic biology experiments designated by the Ministry of Education, boasts two provincial-level teaching teams, and offers five provincial-level quality courses. It has also been awarded a third prize in the natural science category of the teaching competition among youth teachers from national universities. The School is responsible for operating the Basic Biology Laboratory Teaching Center of Hainan University, providing theoretical and experimental teaching for five basic biology courses including Biochemistry, Microbiology, Cytobiology, Genetics and Molecular Biology. It has assembled a team of accomplished teachers for basic biology courses. In April 2023, the School founded the Hainan University Elite Student Training Base for Biological Sciences.
Currently, the School's student body comprises 208 doctoral students, 238 master's students, 827 undergraduate students, and 17 international students. In recent years, undergraduate students have demonstrated their potential by publishing 6 academic papers indexed by SCI and obtaining 17 patents, while an undergraduate team, led by joint captains from the School, won the gold medal at the 2022 International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition (iGEM). Over the past 30 years, the School has trained a multitude of professionals in biological sciences and engineering, becoming one of China's foremost tropical biology education bases and contributing significantly to the economic development of tropical and subtropical regions.
The School will continue to elevate its research capabilities by focusing on key biological issues in industries such as biology, medicine and the environment. It is dedicated to offering more effective talent cultivation, technological backing and social support in the enhancement of the health environment for residents of Hainan, the promotion of health literacy among the people of Hainan, and the assurance of public health safety and biosecurity in the Hainan Free Trade Port.