Seniors university addresses aging society

Enriching, fulfilling

Jing Changying has signed up for singing lessons at the seniors university. In 2021, she took calligraphy and music theory lessons at the Open University of China.

"For me, it is not about how well I learn the courses: I take them to enrich my life and develop my hobbies," the 60-year-old said. The teaching facilities and tutors at the new university are much better than those at private companies, and the tuition fees are much cheaper, she said, adding that she pays just several hundred yuan to do a one-semester course with one class a week.

She retired from the State Grid Corporation of China five years ago, and said she has adjusted to retirement better than many of her peers.

In addition to taking courses, she looks after her parents and a grandchild, practices calligraphy, plays piano and sings, and travels with a friend.

"For our generation, retirement does not necessarily mean staying home and looking after grandchildren, so we pursue more interesting and fulfilling lives," she said.

With China rapidly becoming an older society, the government should provide more policy support for senior universities so more older people across the country can access cheaper, higher-quality education to spice up their retired lives, she added.

Liu said there are more than 267 million seniors in China, and that number is expected to rise as the 1960s baby boom generation ages.

Although senior education has made progress in China, there is still an unequal balance between urban and rural areas, and teachers and teaching resources, while funding is inadequate, and the resources cannot meet the demand for innovative education, she said.

By leveraging the resources of the Open University of China, the establishment of the seniors university can quickly formulate an elderly education service that covers both urban and rural areas, and is open, flexible and standardized, Liu said.