The Ministry of Education has started to draft provisions for Sino-foreign jointly run universities as the country will allow more overseas partners to operate higher learning institutions.

The move comes in the wake of China's entry into the World Trade Organization last year.

Although the current number of Sino-foreign joint universities is not available, the Academic Degree Committee under the State Council said the country has 45 co-operative higher learning programs.

These programs are operated by the United States, Australia, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Thailand, Canada and China's Hong Kong.

The 45 programs have played a supplementary role in cultivating experts which are badly needed in economic sectors, according to the committee.