With western development now high on the government agenda, research institutes are keen to get involved. Qinghua University is one of China's leading colleges. Already the school is gearing up to play its part.

Zhou Li, Director (Qinghua University, R&D Management Office)Said: "It's in Qinghua's own interests to take part in the country's development of the West. This way we can direct our research to meet immediate social and economic needs."

Zhou Li told us that Qinghua has already signed several co-operative projects with a number of western provinces. The most recent one was with the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The university will set up research aimed specifically at poverty alleviation in the area.

Projects include this solar energy pumping system. It was designed by professor Zhao Zhengming. The university spent 20 thousand US dollars developing the system. But each of them can provide enough water for a single county. And there's no need to buy a generator. Qinghua will donate three of the pumping systems to Xinjiang.

PROF. ZHAO ZHENGMING(Qinghua University)Said: "These areas are very poor. People have no money to buy the system. We're looking to the government to invest the funds needed to make sure they get the system."

Professor Zhao spent a year developing the solar pump. Now though, he is happy because it will be put to good use in the West. However, not all of Qinghua's research is so lucky. At present a number of promising projects have been shelved for lack of funds. Although the government has a development policy, so far it has not allocated any funds to universities like Qinghua to do the research needed. Already Qinghua has spent one million yuan of its own funds for research and development to meet the needs of the West. But even if the projects prove feasible, unless administrators in the West meet the university half way, it is still unclear where the money will come from to put them into practice.

ZHOU LI, Director (Qinghua University, R&D Management Office)Said: "We hope local officials in the western areas will gradually get used to the idea of a market economy. This will help solve the money problem."

Stand-up: "The university teachers and students say they welcome the government's policy to develop the West. Some students have even decided that they will go to work there after graduation. They want to go there because of the role for science and technology outlined in government policy for the region. If there is strong investment in these sectors in the West, they will be able to use their knowledge to benefit the development. (CCTV)