On 6 November 2017, the third program of China-ASEAN Academy on Ocean Law and Governance kicked off in Haikou, Hainan Province. It is co-organized by the NISCSS, China-Southeast Asia Research Center on the South China Sea, the International Ocean Institute-Canada and the Institute of Boundary and Ocean Studies of Wuhan University.

The ten-day program covers various subjects, such as the law of the sea, maritime delimitation, international shipping and connectivity, climate change and adaption, marine environmental protection and preservation, biological restoration and sustainable development, as well as transdisciplinary approach to ocean governance. It is mainly course based, yet also includes simulation exercises, group reports, and a field trip to Hainan Maritime Safety Administration. Twelve prominent scholars and experts are going to deliver lectures at the program, while there are over 30 participants from ocean-related government agencies, research institutes and think tanks of China and ASEAN countries.

Inaugurated in January 2016, the Academy has been well reputed as an institutionalized platform in fostering regional capacity building in ocean governance. As a key project under the auspices of China-ASEAN Maritime Cooperation Fund, it aims to enhance mutual trust and functional cooperation among China and ASEAN countries, as well as the development of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.