Chinese President Hu Jintao sent a congratulatory letter to China's University of Science and Technology(USTC) Saturday for the 50th anniversary of its founding.

USTC has made important contributions to the development of China's scientific and educational causes and China's socialist modernization, read the letter.

In the past half century, the university has trained a number of scientists and made many scientific breakthroughs, said Hu.

Hu urged more innovative teaching and scientific research, and called for efforts to build the school into a world class research university.

USTC is regarded as one of the most influential universities in China.It was founded in Beijing by the Chinese Academy of Sciences in September 1958. It moved to Hefei, capital of east Anhui Province, in 1970.

(Xinhua News Agency September 27, 2008)