Shi Hua

SHANGHAI _ The Shanghai Agricultural College (SAC) will formally merge with Shanghai Jiaotong University (SJTU) today _ a strategic step towards building itself into a first-rate university in international terms.

"The merger will promote synergy between relevant departments of the two universities and put new vitality into Shanghai's agricultural modernization drive," said Xie Shengwu, president of SJTU.

The SJTU, established more than 100 years ago, specializes in science and technology, but is deficient in agricultural and medical sciences. The merger will pair it with the 40-year-old SAC, Shanghai's only agricultural college.

In recent years, the SJTU has begun to become involved in the development of Shanghai's agriculture. By joining with the SAC, the university will step up its drive to help push forward the modernization of agriculture in urban Shanghai.

Jiang Xueming, former Party secretary of the SAC said: "All teachers and students fully understand the merger is a great opportunity for our development."

According to an agreement signed in August by the Education Ministry and the Shanghai municipal government, 1,200 million yuan (US$145 million) will be channelled into the SJTU in the next three years to build the university into a higher education institute of international renown.

As one of the seven major SJTU projects, the development of a high-level agricultural college specializing in modern agriculture will receive full financial, intellectual and research support from the university.