Unusual electives offer a quirky look at life

Educators divided on whether life skills such as cooking should be taught at the university level

The start of a new semester often sees the introduction of new courses at universities. Some might be called rare - or even strange - and educators are divided on whether it is necessary to offer such classes at serious institutions of higher education.

In September, a course called "The Theory and Practice of Romantic Relationships" was offered at Tianjin University, attracting some attention. Offered by a student society at the university, the course was conducted in the form of group discussion of various related books.