Yunnan University of Science and Technology and Kunming University of Science and Technology are important universities in Yunnan Province. Although Kunming University of Science and Technology has a high level of teaching and scientific research, which is related to the National Defense Science and Technology Bureau and has been selected for several national education projects, it is not included in the national "2 1 1 engineering" list of universities.

2 1 1 Project is a higher education revitalization plan implemented by the government of China in order to improve the discipline construction and teaching staff of a number of colleges and universities.