The number of foreign students in Shanghai has increased by more than ten percent last year, bringing the total number to 34,886.

The Shanghai Education Commission credited the increase to the city's opening up policy to foreign students.

In 2000, the city only had about 6,000 foreign students. The government plans to increase the city's foreign student population to between 60,000 and 70,000 by 2010.

The city has also set up a 20-million yuan (1.887 million euros) scholarship fund to help outstanding foreign students do post-graduate programs.

Almost 500 foreign students have remained to work in Shanghai after graduation, according to the commission.