The Chinese People's Liberation Army University of National Defense plans to recruit 800 candidates for doctorate and master degrees next year, said sources with a meeting of the university on the reform of graduate education Wednesday.

As China's top military academy, the university launched graduate courses in 1985, and more than 1,100 students have obtained doctorate and master degrees, among them more than 400 are serving as commanders at army, division and regiment levels in the Chinese armed forces.

The university plans to further deepen reform to train more people for the army, the sources said.