Zhou Wenbin, the former president of Nanchang University,?stands trial at a court on Dec 29. [Photo/Chinanews.com]

NANCHANG - The former president of a key university in East China's Jiangxi province was sentenced to life in prison on Tuesday for bribery and embezzlement of public funds.

Zhou Wenbin was found guilty of accepting cash and gifts worth more than 21 million yuan (about $3.24 million) from companies and school staff while serving as president of East China Geological Institute and Nanchang University between 2002 and 2013, said a statement from the Intermediate People's Court of Nanchang City, capital of Jiangxi.

In return, Zhou helped the companies win project bids and procurement contracts and helped school staff gain promotions, said the statement.

He was also convicted of embezzling 58.75 million yuan of public funds from Nanchang University.

Zhou, 55, became president of Nanchang University, the top university in the province, in late 2002. He was arrested in 2013.

A trial for his graft case opened in December 2014 and lasted 23 days before ending abruptly due to the illness of the former chief judge. A retrial was held last month and a new chief judge was assigned to preside over the case.