The State Ethnic Affairs Commission will work with local governments to promote the development of universities for ethnic minorities, Yang Chuantang, secretariat of the commission, said on Thursday.

Yang made the remarks during the signing ceremony for an agreement between the commission and the provincial governments of Hubei and Guizhou to provide a more favorable environment for ethnic minority universities.

Yang said that the commission would provide the Hubei Institute for Nationalities and the Guizhou Ethnic Institute with more favorable policies for research grants and projects and staff recruitment.

"We [the Commission] hope to make these special universities a platform for China's ethnic minorities to promote their unique ethnic cultures," Yang said.

There are 13 universities for ethnic minorities, and students at those schools accounted for close to 6 percent of the total college enrollment in 2007.

(Xinhua News Agency March 14, 2008)