China's Ministry of Education plans to invest 1 billion yuan (about US$ 121 million) in software departments at 35 universities in the latter half of this year.
Each of the pilot departments would receive 30 million yuan (about US$ 3.6 millon), said Zhang Yaoxue, a senior official with the Ministry, at a ceremony Thursday jointly held by the Ministry and the US-based software company Sun.
The 35 universities include such top Chinese institutions as the Tsinghua University and Peking University.
Sun donated software worth 3.5 million US dollars for college education to the Ministry at the ceremony.
Zhang said the move would be helpful for the Chinese software industry and education.
(Xinhua News Agency February 21, 2003)
