On 25 January 2016, the Inaugural Program of China-ASEAN Academy on Ocean Law and Governance, organized by the NISCSS, was held in Haikou, Hainan Province. The Academy is an important project under the auspices of China-ASEAN Maritime Cooperation Fund. It is designed to enhance the view of ocean as a system of varied bodies and users, and to develop an interdisciplinary approach to ocean governance. It will also serve as a platform to promote maritime personnel training and exchanges among China and the ASEAN countries, and enhance mutual trust and cooperation.

The inaugural program will be a full week of intensive lectures and discussions, plus a field trip and a group course work. It will cover various subjects such as international law and the law of sea, trans-boundary arrangement, dispute management, international shipping, maritime safety, fishery management, integrated coastal and ocean management, and adaptation to climate change. The courses were given in English by prominent scholars from China and abroad.

At the opening ceremony, NISCSS President Wu Shicun extended warm welcome to all the participants and lecturers. As President Wu remarked, ocean breeds mankind and is the cradle of human civilization, and the littoral states in the South China Sea should not be divided by maritime delimitation issues. President Wu hoped that the participants could develop a systematic and multi-disciplinary approach to maritime governance, reap knowledge and inspirations, establish friendship and boost consensus.

The participants from the ASEAN also placed high hopes on the Academy. Mr. Nur Azmel Awaludin, a scholar with the Maritime Institute of Malaysia, remarked that the Academy would offer a wonderful opportunity for the participants to hold discussions on related issues and that the courses on maritime law and governance were refreshing. He deemed the Academy as a stabilizing factor in the South China Sea, which would contribute to regional peace and stability as well as mutual understanding and trust.