QINGDAO-- The underwater cultural heritage protection center of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage (SACH) on Monday signed a cooperation agreement with Shandong University (SDU) in a bid to raise more talent for China's underwater archaeology.

According to the agreement, the center will work with SDU to build a scientific research base at the university, while pushing the education of underwater archaeologists into a new phase of professionalization and normalization.

"The cooperation will be significant to improving the structure, theory construction and talent raising in China's underwater archaeology and will help enhance the level of our protection of underwater cultural heritage," said Song Jianzhong, deputy head of the center.

Despite the major achievements made in protection of underwater cultural heritage since 1987, China still has a gap to fill to reach world class in this area, especially with the lack of professional underwater archaeologists, he continued.

Generally, China's underwater archaeologists do not undergo underwater training until they are professionals, which Song Xinchao, deputy head of the SACH, expects to change with the newly formed cooperation with SDU.

"Hopefully our underwater archaeology personnel will be able to theorize and systemize experience gained in practice, and university students majoring in related areas will get to learn underwater archaeology from starting in school," he said.