From August 1 to 4, the study tour of the Entrepreneurs Chapter of the School Alumni Association was held in Hainan. The event was co-hosted by the Entrepreneurs Chapter of the School Alumni Association and the Hainan Alumni Association, and undertaken by the Hainan Alumni Association. He Minqing, former Vice President of the University, Deputy Director of the University Council, and Vice President of the University Alumni Association, and Zhang Qun, former Dean of the School of Economics and Management (SEM), were invited to attend the event.
Liu Mingdong (class of 1985 in Industrial Management and class of 1993 in Management Research), President of the Hainan Alumni Association, Vice President of the SEM Alumni Association, and Chairman of Hainan Mining Co., Ltd.; Li Jun (class of 1990 in Automation), Executive Vice President of the Hainan Alumni Association; Chen Chuanhong (class of 2006 in Mechanical Engineering), Vice President; and Wu Yong (class of 1993 in Automation), Secretary-General, took part in the reception throughout the event.
On August 2, the first stop of the study tour set off from Haikou for Shilu Town, home of Hainan Mining, 188 kilometers away. Led by alumnus Liu Mingdong, the group visited the mineral processing production line of the Shilu Iron Mine, where he gave a detailed introduction to the history and current development of Hainan Mining.
The Shilu Iron Mine is a rare high-grade iron ore deposit in the world, known as “Asia’s No. 1 high-grade iron ore”. As of 2023, the mine held iron ore resources of 243 million tonnes, with an average total iron (TFE) grade of 43.99%. With its high-grade iron ore as the core, Hainan Mining has formed a pattern in which three strategic resources—iron ore, oil and gas, and new energy—advance side by side, reducing its reliance on a single business and strengthening the company’s international competitiveness and risk resilience.
The second stop of the study tour was the Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City in western Sanya. According to the Beike Digital Economy team of Hainan, the city has a planned area of 69.3 square kilometers. Guided by “a global vision, international standards, Sanya characteristics, and high-end positioning”, it focuses on two industrial sectors—Nanfan (tropical agriculture) technology and deep-sea technology—and brings together more than 10 leading research institutions such as the Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, as well as more than 10 universities and graduate schools including Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Zhejiang University. To date, an investment of 720 million yuan has been made to advance the construction of the Nanfan breeding base, the upgrading of the Nanshan Port scientific research pier, and the purchase of deep-sea research equipment, striving to build a national deep-sea science and technology innovation center, the “Nanfan Silicon Valley”, and a model highland for the integration of industry, education and research.
The third stop of the study tour reached the CAS Remote Sensing Information Industrial Park in Sanya, Hainan, where the group learned about the launch vehicles of the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center in Hainan. Among them, the Long March rocket series has undertaken major space missions, including deep-space exploration, space station construction, material supply, deployment of geostationary-orbit satellites, networking of low-orbit satellite constellations, and the construction of a satellite internet. This visit gave everyone a deep sense of the vigorous development and great strength of China’s space program and inspired their boundless enthusiasm for exploring the universe and pursuing their space dreams.
On August 3, the alumni delegation arrived at the fourth stop of the study tour—Hainan Tropical Ocean University in Sanya. Lü Zhiguo, an alumnus of USTB and President of Hainan Tropical Ocean University, introduced to the group the university’s 70-year journey of development. Today, Hainan Tropical Ocean University has grown into a comprehensive university with 19 colleges and 57 undergraduate programs covering 9 major disciplines. Afterwards, the alumni visited the university’s Undersea World Laboratory.
At the fifth stop of the study tour, the alumni came to the Wenchang Commercial Space Satellite Launch Site in Hainan. The atmosphere on site was warm and the alumni were full of enthusiasm and high spirits. On the evening of August 4, the group was fortunate enough to witness the entire launch process of a commercial satellite, bringing the study tour to a successful conclusion.
Looking ahead, the Entrepreneurs Chapter will stay true to its original aspiration and continue to offer more high-quality study tours and visit programs, and looks forward to the continued attention and active participation of the alumni.
