Senior education programs have been in rapid development across China over recent years, to enrich the lives of retired people and support their pursuit of active and meaningful lives.
The latest official data show that by the end of 2024, China's population aged 60 and above reached 310 million, accounting for roughly 22 percent of its total population.
Heading back to school for further study and cultural enrichment is becoming a choice of many Chinese senior citizens.
The establishment of the Seniors University of China (SUC) for the aged is a concrete measure to address population aging in China and an important milestone in the reform and development of education for the elderly.
The university provides students with skills training, cultural inheritance education, social services, scientific research and international exchanges, and offers both online and offline teaching activities for the elderly nationwide.
At one of its campuses in Beijing's Haidian District, to enhance the quality and social impact of courses, renowned experts from various fields have been invited to give lectures on such subjects as health and wellness, music, and dance.
"I find the course very interesting. I have always been into it and really want to study it systematically. It's great that the university for the elderly has invited professional teachers for us. And we truly cherish it." said Ai Qi, an older adult student attending a music class.
To better meet the learning needs of these older adult students, the college directly affiliated to the SUC has opened a total of 127 classes during this spring semester, which is an increase of more than 60 from the same period of last year.
"One of our goal is to increase the spots in classes for more people to enroll, which is to increase the quantity. Additionally, we aim to offer specialized courses such as proactive health courses, traditional cultural courses, digital literacy courses, and skill enhancement courses," said Liu Caimei, dean of the college directly affiliated to the SUC.
During the spring semester, the SUC's Hainan campus in south China has added 11 new classes and introduced numerous courses on techniques for intangible cultural heritage, allowing the students to experience the charm of traditional culture.
The university's campus in Xiamen City of east China's Fujian Province, with a building area of nearly 50,000 square meters, officially opened in September last year. With over 70 multi-functional classrooms, it can accommodate up to 3,000 students for classes simultaneously.
Senior education programs in rapid development across China
The Chinese Embassy in South Africa on Monday held an event in Pretoria, the country's administrative capital, to celebrate the launch of the 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges.
This year also marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and African countries.
Chinese Ambassador to South Africa Wu Peng said that over the past seven decades, under the joint guidance of leaders from both sides, China-Africa people-to-people and cultural exchanges have continued to expand, yielding fruitful outcomes.
Noting that the world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, Wu said China and Africa need to uphold fairness and justice, strengthen solidarity and mutual assistance, and enhance exchanges and cooperation more than ever before.
Taking the launch of the China-Africa Year of People-to-people Exchanges as an opportunity, Wu called for upholding the original aspiration of friendship, solidifying the foundation of cooperation, enhancing two-way efforts, and accelerating the building of an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era.
Mmapaseka Steve Letsike, South Africa's deputy minister of women, youth, and persons with disabilities, said South Africa and China enjoy strong and historic bonds of friendship as close international cooperation partners in the political, economic, social, technical and multilateral domains.
"The significance of people-to-people is really about how we elevate the people's life to a just and equitable stance that we want to see. We want a better Africa; we want a better world. And that for us is significant," said Letsike.
"Through people-to-people exchanges, we promote mutual understanding, and that is the basis of building mutual trust, building peaceful coexistence. People-to-people exchange is a very important instrument for peace and mutual understanding," said Bongani Maimele, director of international relations with South Africa's National School of Government.
The opening ceremony of the 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges was held at the African Union headquarters on Jan 8. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the two sides will jointly host nearly 600 cultural and people-to-people exchange activities in 2026 to enhance exchanges and mutual learning between the two civilizations, and promote mutual understanding and connection between the peoples.
Organizing the 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges is an important consensus reached by leaders from both sides at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Beijing Summit in 2024.
Chinese Embassy in South Africa unveils 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges
