Shanghai universities to open door to public, local political advisors suggest

Local political advisors suggested some universities in Shanghai to open doors to the public to realize the maximum use of good education resources.

They suggested the practice starting with famous, comprehensive institutions of higher education and courses of general knowledge and with lower thresholds.

They made the suggestion at the ongoing annual session of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the city's political advisory body, which will last through Thursday.

Wang Shilong, one of those who made the suggestion, said that residents can join the classes upon reservation to minimize the influence on students and avoid additional burdens on teachers.

"In recent years, universities have provided general education courses, which is not difficult for those finishing high school education. Also, the content of such courses covers a wide range of knowledge, and many well-known scholars in various schools are teachers for the classes," said Wang, who is also a professor at the School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University.

"For many citizens who want to improve their knowledge in their spare time or after retirement, it is undoubtedly a good educational opportunity if they can take classes at universities," he said.

Figures from the latest national census conducted in 2020 showed that a third of Shanghai residents finished college or university education. Residents, including those who are currently working in Shanghai while graduating from universities elsewhere, still have a strong desire to improve their education background, said the political advisors.