The research vessel Tan Kah Kee. [Photo/en.xmu.edu.cn]
Nine Chinese universities held joint marine outreach activities on June 8 to mark World Oceans Day and China's National Ocean Awareness Day.
The participating universities included Xiamen University (XMU), Tianjin University, Dalian University of Technology, Tongji University, Harbin Institute of Technology, Hainan University, Ningbo University, South China Agricultural University, and Minjiang University.
Participants of a "Haisi Classroom" expedition pose for a group photo aboard the research vessel Tan Kah Kee. [Photo/en.xmu.edu.cn]
XMU used its research vessel Tan Kah Kee to support an education program known as the "Haisi Classroom", which combines at-sea teaching with scientific research training. Since its launch in 2018, the program has completed 17 voyages, bringing more than 500 students and faculty members from 21 universities in five countries and regions on ocean expeditions. The vessel also crossed the equator into the Southern Hemisphere for the first time during the program.
The initiative was recognized in 2021 as an innovation case under China's Ministry of Education Top-notch Student Cultivation Program 2.0 in Basic Disciplines (2021).
Founded in the 1920s, XMU established China's first department of oceanography in 1946. The university's marine science discipline is currently rated A+ in national academic assessments.
