A Study on the Institutional Compatibility of Education Liberalization in Free Trade Ports: An Analysis of the Governance Effectiveness of the “Large Sharing + Small College” Model in Lingshui, Hainan

Abstract

Against the backdrop of profound adjustments in the global education governance landscape and the accelerated advancement of China's free trade port construction, institutional innovation in education openness has become a core issue for regional development. The “large-scale sharing + small-scale institutions” model explored by the Hainan Lingshui International Education Innovation Pilot Zone breaks down administrative barriers and resource segmentation in cross-border education, establishing an education governance system with free trade port characteristics. This paper, based on the institutional adaptability theoretical framework, systematically analyzes the internal logic of this model in terms of the flow of educational elements, the restructuring of governance structures, and the realization of functions, revealing its governance effectiveness and practical value in the education opening-up of free trade ports. The study finds that the “large-scale sharing + small colleges” model achieves dynamic adaptability with the free trade port's “4+12” industrial system through institutional flexibility design. Its governance effectiveness manifests in three dimensions: improved resource allocation efficiency, deepened cross-border education collaboration, and optimized precision in talent supply. This provides theoretical references and practical pathways for institutional innovation in education openness within China's free trade ports.