Tiens Group invites top design firms all over the world to participate the planning and design program for the Tiens International University in Tianjin on Monday, Dec 9, and help upgrade the current Tiens University to an international university.

Li Jinyuan, the group's chairman, expected "the world's masters of design to bring the international standard to the university, so the new international university may begin from a higher starting point with stricter requirements."

The planned 2.1-million-sq-m Tiens International University, in Wuqing district, Tianjin, will offer undergraduate and postgraduate education. A comprehensive education town is planned around it with primary school, high schools and pre-university education.

Li Jinyuan, Tiens Group's chairman, invities design firms all over the world to participate the planning and design program for the Tiens International University. [Hao Yan/chinadaily.com.cn]

The university will have a total of 39 undergraduate majors in seven schools, including business, science, medicine, engineering, arts, education and communication. The university will admit 20,000 students, including 2,500 postgraduates and 1,500 doctoral students.

"It will be an important event in the history of non-government funded education in Tianjin,” said Sun Zhiliang, Tianjin Municipal Education Commission Deputy Director.

Li believes that "development of an enterprise relies on talents, talents rely on education." Establishing a high-level international university is deeply rooted in his dream.

"I'd like to sacrifice profits for education ...and leave public wealth behind," said Li.

He has invested about $250 million in construction of Tianjin Tianshi College since 1996, and the college was upgraded into a university in 2008.

"The Tianshi University has been cultivating many talents for Wuqing district and for Tianjin city," said Zhou Huijun, organization director of Communist Party of China Wuqing district branch.

The upgrading of Tiens International University will introduce an international teaching and research management mechanism, international advanced courses and original materials, according to Li's plan.

Tiens International University will take advanced educational philosophy as its guide and implement a flexible educational system and full credit system. All the main courses will adopt an English or bilingual lecturing system.

"We look forward to an international university full of expectations…and hoping it will set a national benchmark among the non-government funded universities," said Sun.