Top overseas science, engineering universities encouraged to run joint education programs in China

BEIJING, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- Top overseas universities, especially those featuring on science and engineering, are encouraged to operate joint education programs with their counterparts in China, the Ministry of Education said on Thursday.

This encouragement comes under a national initiative to provide more quality education resources, which the ministry announced at a press conference.

The initiative also includes a plan to support China's top universities in expanding their education capacities, and a plan to establish several advanced research universities.

China is working to promote the opening-up of its education sector, aiming to establish major education centers with global influence, the ministry said.

It noted that the country also supports more foreign students to come to China for study and exchange, announcing plans to launch 800 international summer school programs over the next three years.

A total of 50,000 young people from the United States will be invited on exchange trips to China over the next five years, as well as 10,000 young French people over the next three years, the ministry said, also noting that the number of young Europeans undertaking exchange trips to China will double.

China is committed to "going global" in its education sector and promotes the running of education programs overseas in the fields of engineering and medicine in which China has comparative advantages, the ministry said. Chinese college and university students are also encouraged to pursue education overseas.