Universities are increasingly sharing teaching resources and recognizing each other's curricula as the sector expands its student base.

Ministry of Education statistics indicate that college enrolment increased to 3.04 million in 2002 from 1.08 million in 1998, the year before universities started admitting many more students.

Ministry sources said university professors across the country will be encouraged to develop new courses for their students.

They can submit their tailor-made courses for evaluation by the ministry, which will then shortlist the top 1,500 entries and financially reward those who designed the curricula. The winning course material will be put on the Internet for use by different universities.

The move aims to improve teaching resources in higher education, according to the ministry.

Some universities are already sharing their teaching resources.

Three major universities in Central China's Hunan Province, for example, have introduced a reform encouraging students to choose subjects in any of the three institutions.

The three universities - Central-South University, Hunan University and Hunan Normal University - recently signed an agreement to formalize the scheme.

Under it, students can earn credits from subjects or tutors at any of the three universities. The campuses will pool their resources when applying for scientific research funding, buying major teaching aids and equipment, and in other academic activities.

Students will be awarded graduation certificates from the universities where they are enrolled.

The presidents of the three universities have formed a special committee to deal impartially with problems that arise, said Chen Qiyuan, vice-president of Central-South University.

Xu Yunzhao, vice-governor of Hunan Province, said the universities' agreement will improve co-operation, distribute educational resources more equitably and cultivate more high-calibre intellectuals.

"Universities are free to introduce such reforms to improve teaching efficiency," said Zhang Yaoxue, director of the Department for Higher Education of the Ministry of Education.

Zhang said other universities have also looked at adopting similar schemes.

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