Zhu Chongshi, president of Xiamen University in Southeast China's Fujian Province has come under fire after announcing that students majoring in management, law, economics and software engineering would be required to take golf lessons in a bid to promote what he termed as 'elite education' at a forum on cooperation and development at Shandong University in Jinan, October 14, 2006.

Students with the Shanghai Finance and Economy University practice teeing off on the gymnasium-turned court at the newly launched golf course in China's eastern business hub on October 19, 2006. The golf course, according to the school administration, is set up to better supplement a self-assumed elite education. [xmnext.com]

Critics of the move say that whether or not a student can play golf has nothing to do with his social status. Others were critical of his placing such importance on a sport that is traditionally viewed in China as a western pastime.

Zhu refuted these claims and said that the move is based on trying to foster talent students with good educational facilities. "Golf can help students with social skills and benefit them in their future careers," he said.

Zhu said that what he meant by 'elite' were those who had leadership skills. He criticized the education system for focusing simply on market requirements when choosing what programs to offer students.

"It would be a disaster for advanced education institutions to simply focus on the market," Zhu was quoted by the paper as saying.

Other criticisms poured amid Peking University, another big name university in China opened a golf training area earlier this year. The criticisms said it is not practical for students to have golf because a golf court needs to cover at least 70 hectares as not very university in China is big enough to spare that room.

"Golf at Xia Da is just a sports course," Zhu said. He said that his university has easy access to a nearby golf course and a good relationship with the father of the course owner and above all, the university can afford to build one on campus.

Some people, however, worry that students from poor families can't afford to play golf because the game has for a long time been a symbol of western decadence in China. Zhu, however, argued that the university doesn't charge extra money for students to play golf. .

"Isn't it a good thing for poor students, who might have never played golf before in their lives, to find out that they have access to golf when they are on campus?" Zhu said.

Even faced with harsh criticism, Zhu isn't very worried and said the controversy is a good thing because it shows people are more concerned with advanced education. However, he strongly refuted the idea that golf lessons are equal to elitism.