Strategies for Maritime Vocational Institutions to Achieve "Double High-Level" Status in the Hainan Free Trade Port Context

This paper focuses on the advantages and disadvantages of Hainan maritime institutions in applying for the national high-level vocational colleges and specialties (clusters) construction project (hereinafter referred to as the "Double High-Level" initiative). The study finds that these institutions possess significant advantages, including robust policy support, notable achievements in professional development, comprehensive training facilities, and deep industry-education integration. However, they also face critical challenges, such as a shortage of at-sea practical teaching resources, an insufficiently qualified teaching staff, inadequate teaching facilities, unreasonable curriculum planning, and room for improvement in the quality of student cultivation at private institutions. To address these issues, the paper proposes targeted strategies: strengthening the construction of at-sea practical teaching resources, enhancing faculty qualifications, deepening industry-education collaboration, optimizing professional cluster development, promoting internationalization, and reinforcing regional cooperation and branding. These measures aim to provide a clear pathway for Hainan's maritime institutions to successfully participate in the "Double High-Level" initiative and better serve the talent needs of the Hainan Free Trade Port.