China starts building Internet security institute

CGTN photo

Construction began on an Internet security training institute in central China's Hubei Province on Wednesday.

The project in Wuhan airport economic zone, covers an area of 100 hectares and will cost 5 billion yuan (751 million US dollar).

The institute will open in June 2019 and be capable of providing professional training for 10,000 people.

Meanwhile, supporting projects such as an international talent community and a supercomputer center were inaugurated on Wednesday.

The Internet security institute is supported by the Office of the Central Leading Group for Cyberspace Affairs.

From 2017 to 2027, China plans to build four to six international-standard Internet security institutes, according to a joint document issued by the Central Leading Group and the Education Ministry in August.

In 2014, the number of China's Internet security personnel needed in key industry information systems and infrastructure was 700,000, which is expected to double by 2020, according to Feng Huamin, vice president of Beijing Electronic Science and Technology Institute.

As of last year, China only had 143 Internet security majors spread over 126 universities, which are approximately 10% of technology universities.

China has about 751 million Internet users.