BEIJING, Aug. 5 -- A university in central China has partnered with a local industry body to launch the country's first Barbecue Research Institute, aiming to elevate the street food into a formal profession.

According to South China Morning Post, Yueyang Open University and the Yueyang Barbecue Association have signed a strategic cooperation agreement to establish the new institute, with plans to train 1,000 barbecue artisans within three years.

Qiao, a member of staff with the Yueyang Barbecue Association, said, "As it is a new initiative, recruiting students this year would be premature, so we plan to begin by recruiting from the public."

The three-year programme includes two and a half years of theoretical coursework and a six-mont...