ScienceWord, word processing software developed by a university in central China's Hubei Province, has been recommended by the Beninese education authorities to primary and secondary school students across Benin.

Insiders say this is the first Chinese software ever to win a government procurement contract abroad.

ScienceWord, developed by Prof. Liao Zhaocun and his team at the Wuhan-based Central China University of Science and Technology, can perform concurrent processing of words, formulas, curves and graphics and help science students and teachers write theses, publish science books, build digital libraries and conduct on-line teaching.

The software also contains user-friendly links that allow users to search for relevant science papers on the Internet and post their own theses.

ScienceWord presently has more than 5 million users at home and abroad.

The local Hubei Daily reported that the software was first recommended to the Beninese government by an African student in China in February 2004. A government delegation was sent to Wuhan for further study and testing of the program in September and ScienceWord 3.5, the most updated version, was installed at the Beninese education authority early this year.

Beninese education authorities have recently signed an official letter recommending the software to schools nationwide.