China on May 22 unveiled a plan to support universities in its less developed central and western regions.

The ministries of education and finance, together with the National Development and Reform Commission, the country's top planning agency, jointly issued the plan designed to train faculties and improve facilities of universities in central and west China before 2020.

Zhang Daliang, Director of the Higher Education Department under the Ministry of Education, said at a press conference that the weakness of these universities has hindered local higher education development.

The Central Government plans to inject 10 billion yuan ($1.62 billion) between 2012 and 2015 into 100 higher education institutions in central and west China where bachelor's degree programs are available, according to the official document.

Currently, the number of on-campus students studying for bachelor's degrees or junior college qualifications in central and west China account for 65.5 percent of the total nationwide.