(Chinanews.com/Liu Xin)

Many of China's universities and vocational schools are now offering majors in drone studies to train talents in a rapidly growing industry, cankaoxiaoxi.com reported on Aug. 24.

Major Chinese universities, including Beihang University, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and Northwestern Polytechnical University, all set up courses and training to cultivate talents in the scientific research and management of drones.

Yu Jianbin, a junior student majoring in drone aerial photography at Jinhua Polytechnic, said that he can earn 1,000 yuan ($150) for each photography task and more than 20,000 yuan a month by establishing his own studio.

Data shows that the export of Chinese drones hit 4.91 billion yuan ($737.6 million) in the first half of the year and the number of drone companies in mainland China has exceeded 300.

Drones are widely used for military operations, aerial photography, delivery services, and disaster relief efforts, as well as for data collection, and the sales volume of the aerial vehicles on a yearly basis in mainland China is projected to reach 290,000 by 2020.