URUMQI, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Though Maet Abdulla, a student at the Xinjiang Islamic Institute, has only two months left in his bachelor studies, he is not worried about his job prospects.
The 25-year-old from Hotan in the southern part of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region said he could easily land a job at mosques upon graduation.
"A job at the local ethnic and religious affairs administration also sounds good," Abdulla said.
Five years ago when Abdulla finished high school, he entered the institute in Urumqi, the regional capital of Xinjiang.
Founded in 1983, the institute confers bachelor and junior college degrees on students and provides non-degree training for serving religious personnel. It offers courses in Mandarin, Uygur and Arabic languages.
Students take courses in religious knowledge, national law, culture and history.
In September 2017, a new campus, 5.7 times the size of the old one in downtown Urumqi, was put to use in the suburban part of the capital. The new campus cost 279 million yuan (41 million U.S. dollars).
With a spacious worship hall, a stadium and a football court, it can accommodate 1,100 students. Government grants for food and lodging have also increased, particularly for students from impoverished families in southern Xinjiang, said Abdurekhip Tumniyaz, director of the institute.
Izhat, a student from Ili, is most glad about the new sports facilities at the campus. "In our spare time, we like to play football and basketball to relax," he said.
Teacher Mamat Imin Abla has just returned from his exchange scholarship in Egypt. In two months, 24 students in his class will graduate and serve the public.
