China’s most popular spirit brand, Moutai, will establish a college to teach wine-related science, in an effort to promote China’s national liquor brand worldwide.

Already approved by the Ministry of Education, Moutai College will have five undergraduate programs, including brewing engineering, enological engineering and food quality & safety studies. The college aims to enroll 5,000 students and will place an emphasis on wine-related technologies, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Similar to Russian vodka, Moutai is a distilled spirit made from sorghum, wheat or rice. With a history that dates back to the 1st century B.C., the brand first impressed foreigners with its mellow aroma and smooth taste at the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition. It is also a popular drink at state functions.

Though the brand has a remarkable reputation both domestically and abroad, its sales have slumped in recent years, partly because of the Chinese government’s crackdown on corruption, which has reduced the number of extravagant government receptions and gift exchanges. Facing this domestic downturn, the company has been exploring global cooperation with five overseas agencies in an attempt to become the world’s No. 1 liquor brand.

Some experts believe that the establishment of Moutai College will provide the company with a pool of professionals and a technological edge. It also could help Moutai to tap into the foreign market.

According to Xinhua, Moutai aims to expand its overseas market share by an annual rate of 15 percent, banking on the potential for overseas sales to make up 10 percent of its total sales volume.