Cisco Systems, the world's top networking equipment maker, plans to open 140 networking academy institutions in China this year, as part of its $16 billion multiyear investment commitment in the country.

The US company has already established 250 such institutions and trained more than 100,000 students. Fifty institutions were opened in 2008 alone, said Jim Sheriff, chairman and chief executive officer, Cisco China.

Cisco, which makes routers, switches and other Internet equipment, announced earlier that it would build 500 networking academies in China by 2010.