The former president of a key university in east China's Jiangxi Province stood trial on Tuesday for bribery and embezzlement of public funds, according to a local court.

Zhou Wenbin, 54, is accused of accepting bribes worth more than 22 million yuan (3.6 million U.S. dollars) while serving as president of East China Institute of Technology and Nanchang University, according to the Nanchang Municipal Intermediate People's Court.

Zhou is also accused of embezzling 58.75 million yuan in public funds from Nanchang University for others.

Zhou has been in criminal detention since Sept. 26 of last year.

In 2002, Zhou became president of Nanchang University, the top university in the province, which has more than 80,000 students.