Xinjiang gets a new research institute

Sun Yat-sen University has opened a research institute in Altay prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, aiming to help raise the standard of higher education in the northwestern region of China.

The institute, unveiled on Saturday, was jointly established by Altay prefecture, Guangzhou-based Sun Yat-sen University and Xinjiang University of Finance and Economics. It will promote the implementation and transformation of innovative achievements, providing intellectual support for Xinjiang's tourism, ice and snow industries, and the Belt and Road Initiative, said Gao Song, president of Sun Yat-sen University.

"The institute will help promote the high-quality development of industries in Altay prefecture and across the Xinjiang region," said Gao, who is also an academician with the Chinese Academy of Sciences.