The Qingdao government and Ocean University of China (OUC) signed a cooperation framework agreement on Nov 1 to establish a new campus of the university in the Qingdao West Coast New Area.

Li Qun, top official of the Qingdao municipal government, and Ju Chuanjin, an official from OUC, attended the signing ceremony.

Li expressed his congratulations to the Qingdao West Coast New Area and OUC. He said that higher education will provide a strong boost to regional development. OUC is recognized as the driving force behind China's marine research and application. The new campus of OUC will fuel the development of marine industries in the Qingdao West Coast New Area.

He added that government departments will be totally committed to the cooperation of the project in accord with the agreement.

Ju said that OUC is a comprehensive university with particular strengths in oceanography and fisheries science, striving to become a world class university. The new campus will be established with quality and efficiency, and it will provide talent and technical services for the development of the local marine economy.

According to the agreement, the new campus will focus on the construction of national demonstration and experimentation bases for marine research and application. It will set up colleges covering marine renewable energy, oceanographic equipment and instruments, marine new materials, as well as ship and aquatic engineering. An innovation center will be set up for the research and development of marine sciences and technology.