80% of Chinese universities open entrepreneurship, innovation courses

BEIJING - Around 82 percent of Chinese universities and colleges have opened compulsory or optional courses on entrepreneurship and innovation, according to a statistics from the Ministry of Education (MOE).

The number of such courses offered in Chinese universities increased by 14 percent this year compared to 2014, Wang Lin, an official with the ministry, said on Wednesday at the international forum on Innovation and entrepreneurship education held at Renmin University in Beijing.

Universities and colleges have set up special funds for entrepreneurship and innovation projects totalling 1.02 billion yuan($160.4 million), according to statistics.

This year, more than 3 million college students have participated in innovation and entrepreneurship activities, Wang said.

Wang said universities and colleges should coordinate with employer demands to provide relevant information, services and training for graduates to help them find proper entrepreneurship programs.

Preferential policies are urged to put in place to support college graduates creating start-ups, he said.