Shanghai Songjiang College City, the first "city" of higher learning which groups five universities and colleges, is under busy construction and this autumn will see its first batch of 5,000 students enrolled.

The Songjiang College City, which covers an area of some three square kilometers, is by the side of Shanghai-Hangzhou Expressway and close to the Sheshan National Holiday Resort by its north, according to the person in charge of the construction. With a total investment of 2.5 billion yuan, the college city will be completed by 2003 and will enroll nearly 50,000 students by that time.

The college-city features the first-rate equipment and environment. The five universities and colleges, consisting of Shanghai University of International Studies and Shanghai Institute of Foreign Trade, are at once in one campus and separated by belts of plants or streamlets in between with independent yet close relationship among them. This college city is said to be the new pattern for higher education in the contemporary times.

(People's Daily 05/14/2001)