From November 6 through November 15, 2017, the National institute for South China Sea Studies (NISCSS) hosted the Third Program of China-ASEAN Academy on Ocean Law & Governance, in collaboration with the China-Southeast Asia Research Center on the South China Sea (CSARC), the International Ocean Institute-Canada (IOI-Canada), and the China Institute of Boundary and Ocean Studies of Wuhan University (CIBOS). The ten-day program included an intensive series of lectures, workshops, field trips and group projects. China-ASEAN Academy on Ocean Law and Governance seeks to highlight the need to view the ocean as a system used for a variety of purposes, and to promote a greater understanding of the complexity and importance of the coasts, ocean and resources of the South China Sea to the sustainable economic development of China and the ASEAN countries. It also aims to help the participants to adopt an interdisciplinary approach to the study of ocean governance, and explore a variety of opportunities for cooperation among China and ASEAN countries, on both local and national levels.