To cater to the senior population's growing needs and interests, more institutions are offering courses to help keep aging folks engaged with technology, community and family, He Qi reports.

Wang Minghua, 80, has been attending a senior university for a decade, studying cooking and dessert making, exploring travel, and focusing on health and wellness at Shanghai University for the Senior. In the upcoming semester, she will venture into a new realm: mastering professional pet care.

New to the 2025 fall curriculum at Shanghai University for Senior, the course highlights key aspects of scientific pet care and community civility. Over the academic year, it will cover dog and cat care essentials from pet selection to daily care and behavioral training, and even delve into the care of exotic pets, such as birds, rodents and tropical fish.

"I want to understand the scientific approach to caring for my dog and how to engage with it," says Wang, who has a five-year-old poodle. "I'm familiar with pet care basics but wish to master ways of training its behaviors. I simply enjoy continuous learning and staying active."

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Huang Jia, the promoter of the course from Shanghai Minyuan Vocational College, says: "While young people nowadays may have a growing interest in owning pets, it's important to recognize that seniors can also benefit from pet companionship. We aim to equip older individuals with the knowledge and skills to scientifically nurture pets."

The pet course is just one of numerous new offerings at Shanghai University for the Senior this fall. The university recently hosted a campus open day at the end of June, enabling prospective students to explore courses and preregister.

Executive vice-president Peng Haihong reveals that in 2025, the university will provide 27,000 seats in over 800 classes, marking an increase of over 100 classes and 2,000 seats compared to last year.

A variety of innovative courses catering to the elderly will be offered in the upcoming semester, including civil code essentials, wealth management, pet care, group counseling for seniors, AI basics, coffee crafting, bartending, and African drumming, which will enrich seniors' learning journeys.

"These courses were tailored based on a survey among Shanghai's elderly earlier this year," Peng explains. Priced between 200 and 500 yuan ($27.9-69.8) per semester and in high demand, seats often fill quickly. Traditional courses like piano, instrumental music, dancing, painting, singing, and newer offerings, such as coffee making and AI guidance, are the most popular.

The AI application guide course has sparked curiosity from many seniors by introducing tools like DeepSeek and ByteDance's Doubao large language model to keep them up-to-date on technology.

"Everyone strives to stay updated. Despite my age, I've gained valuable insights at the senior university. While I may not be as proficient as the younger generation in using mobile phones, I excel among my peers," shares Zhang Zhifang, who plans to enroll in a mobile phone photography course this semester.

The coffee course, which quickly reached capacity within half an hour on its opening day, has been in high demand since its introduction last September.

Luo Ke, the project leader, mentions the addition of a mixology course this year: "Several senior community universities have shown interest in our courses. We plan to develop more tailored courses for the elderly, integrating coffee and mixology into their daily lives."

Additionally, the trend of university-enterprise cooperation is growing. L'Oreal Group will collaborate with the university to launch beauty image management courses.

Huang Yan, training director of L'Oreal China's consumer products division, notes: "We have observed a strong desire for maintaining beauty among the new silver-haired generation in Shanghai. These courses will blend theory with practical exercises, offering numerous personalized customization options and cutting-edge content. Topics will include mature skin care and personalized makeup for various scenarios. The first class will enroll up to 30 participants."

The university's curriculum also pays more attention to seniors' mental health.

Tian Xuhua, 74, says that she often felt unneeded and sad following her retirement. When a friend recommended the senior university, she learned to make pastries. Not only can she cook for her family, but her physical and mental well-being has also improved. "My grandson asked me to make macarons. I am already learning," she says.

Li Aiming, a teacher at Shanghai Open University who developed and launched two courses related to family happiness and psychology, says: "Highly educated 50 to 70-year-old seniors facing the important life transition from workplace to family need psychological and professional support for family education."

According to the 2023 statistical bulletin on the development of civil affairs released by the Ministry of Civil Affairs in 2024, at the end of 2023, the elderly population in China aged 60 and above reached 296.97 million, which accounted for 21.1 percent of the total population, a 1.3 percent increase compared to the previous year.

Meanwhile, aging is even more prevalent in Shanghai. The latest statistics show the city has seen the senior population aged 60 and above reach 37.6 percent.

To address the growing demand for quality courses for the elderly, China will host its inaugural Senior Learning Curriculum Expo from Oct 18 to 20 at the Shanghai Exhibition Center. This national exhibition, focusing on senior education and lifelong learning, is organized by Shanghai Open University in collaboration with Shanghai Education Television Station and Shanghai University for the Senior.

Spanning 8,000 square meters, the expo is expected to draw over 100,000 visitors and 200 exhibitors. It will showcase a diverse curriculum tailored to senior learners, promote educational tools, textbooks and cultural products, while highlighting innovative education initiatives and bolstering the silver-haired economy.

Contact the writer at heqi@chinadaily.com.cn