Nearly 90 percent of museum employees in China had not received a university education, and still fewer have majored in museum studies, experts said at the ongoing 16th congress of the International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences.

The conference, in Kunming, winds up Friday.

Museum employees needed high standards of conservation, management and research, but only 10.6 percent of museum employees in China had bachelors' degrees or higher. Some had graduated only from primary schools, said Pan Shouyong, deputy head of the anthropology institute of the Central University for Nationalities.

He quoted a survey conducted between 2003 and 2005 by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage among leaders, staff members and readers at more than 2,300 museums across China.

In Shanghai, 29 percent of employees held bachelors' degrees, the highest percentage in China, compared with 9.4 percent in Beijing.

As most employees did not major in museum studies, precious historical relics showed long-term signs of damage because of lack of professional maintenance, Pan said. "Many registered collections are missing and some are not even registered because of the poor management system."

The number of museums in China has increased greatly since 1994, an average of 100 opening yearly. In 2008 more than 2,700 public museums had been registered. The number of private museums founded by professional institutions and associations has also increased rapidly.

In America and Europe, most museum managers hold a PhD. There are less than 20 PhD holders among China's museum heads, Pan said.

Sixteen universities have set up departments of museum studies, from which hundreds of students graduate every year - but no more than 50 work in museums, Pan said.

Pan encouraged young people to cultivate a strong interest and desire to research despite its solitary nature.

"It needs at least 10 years for museum researchers to achieve accomplishment," he said. "Only by that time can we enjoy and introduce China's rich culture professionally."