SHANGHAI, Oct. 10 (Xinhuanet) -- Buddhist monks, long regarded as seclusive and irrelevant to secular matters, are joining white-collar workers in this cosmopolitan city in a business school for MBA courses.

The 18 monks in bright yellow cassock in the Antai Management College of Shanghai Jiaotong University are studying how to bettermanage their ever-modernizing temples.

The six-month training program offered by the Shanghai Jiaotong University included courses on organizational engineering, human resources, marketing and financial management. Monks are expected to better their skills on marketing Buddhist books, souvenirs through the trainings.