China's online senior university launches new open classes

BEIJING -- The "online senior university," a learning platform run by the China Association of the Universities for the Aged, has launched a new edition of open classes to meet the learning needs of senior citizens.

The announcement, made by the association on Thursday, follows the success of the first edition of open classes, which began in May 2023. These classes featured 338 teachers from 76 educational institutions and attracted over 70,000 participants, with more than 800,000 course visits.

With China's aging population, universities for the elderly have become an increasingly important platform for promoting active and healthy aging. However, these institutions currently face challenges such as unbalanced regional educational resources, a demand for more diverse curricula, and relatively limited teaching formats.

To boost educational resources for the elderly, the second edition of open classes will engage the active participation of more senior universities across the country, according to the association.

Additionally, to enhance the quality and social impact of courses, renowned experts from various fields will be invited to offer courses, such as health and wellness, local cultural heritage, calligraphy and painting, and traditional Chinese culture and history.