(Yicai) Nov. 13 -- China is set to support the creation of more new-type research universities, as part of a push to nurture the highly specialized talent needed for strategically important sectors of the economy.

The government will back the establishment of more of these innovative universities in places where conditions permit, an official said at a press conference held by the National Development and Reform Commission, the state planner, on Nov. 10.

Focused mainly on scientific and technological research, these universities are characterized by high academic standards, substantial investment, and an international orientation, and sometimes require even higher entrance exam scores than well-established peers.

Examples that have already opened around the country include Southern University of Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, and Shenzhen University of Advanced Technology. Others -- Shenzhen Ocean University, Aerospace Information Technology University, and Qiantang University -- are being built.

These institutions have strong faculties, including numerous academicians and a large number of renowned experts from both China and abroad, said Ding Changfa, an associate professor of economics at Xiamen University. And they prioritize majors that are urgently needed for the development of the national economy as well as cutting-edge areas, he added.

This holds out the promise of better employment and career prospects for graduates of these universities, Ding pointed out.

Qiantang University will be the third new research university in Zhejiang, a prosperous province in East China. It will focus on science, engineering, and interdisciplinary studies. Two similar institutions in Zhejiang, Westlake University and Eastern Institute of Technology, Ningbo, were approved in 2018 and last year, respectively.

Editor: Tom Litting