(Yicai) Oct. 13 -- As Chinese universities and colleges expand enrollment, student accommodation is coming increasingly under pressure. Nine major Chinese universities have announced plans to build new dormitories or purchase existing properties for conversion into student housing since the beginning of the year, according to Yicai research.

Tsinghua University, one of China’s leading universities, plans to spend CNY810 million (USD121 million) on constructing student dormitories in a residential complex on the outskirts of Beijing, according to information released by the Beijing Municipal Government. The project will cover more than 110,000 square meters.

And Beijing University of Chemical Technology intends to invest CNY470 million (USD70.2 million) in a new student dormitory, according to publicly available information. Meanwhile, several other universities such as Hubei University, Central South University and China University of Mining and Technology plan to buy existing houses and convert them into student accommodation.

Accommodation standards at many Chinese universities and colleges need to be improved, while a significant number of institutions of higher learning continue to face shortages of dormitory capacity, Ding Changfa, an associate professor in the Department of Economics at Xiamen University, told Yicai.

Hiking investment in university accommodation through the renovation, construction or expansion of dormitories, as well as the purchase of existing properties for student housing, would improve living conditions for students and provide another channel for expanding effective investment, he said.

On Sept. 23, Guo Peng, director of the Ministry of Education's Department of Development Planning, said the government will make full use of policy funding mechanisms such as the central government budgetary investment and ultra-long-term special treasury bonds to support the construction of new university campuses and improve essential educational facilities, which include student accommodation, canteens, stadiums and laboratories.

Editor: Kim Taylor