Elderly tutors for elderly students

Wang Shuzhen may already be 77 years old, but the professor of food and health is still very much active in the academic scene despite having retired 14 years ago.

These days, however, Wang teaches peers of her generation instead of young students about healthy diets at a college for the elderly that is affiliated to Shanghai Normal University.

"I enjoy making new friends who share the same interests or lifestyle and teaching here at this college for the elderly allows me to do so," said Wang.

According to Huang Gang, vice principal of the college, 60 percent of the faculty at the college for the elderly is made up of retired professors and graduate students at Shanghai Normal University.

Wang said she remembered the first time she gave a class to fellow retirees: "There were more than 20 students, all of whom were aged over 50, and they were all smiling at me. I felt like I was a part of them."

Huang pointed out that universities have an advantage in running colleges for the elderly as there is already a pre-existing campus that can be utilized.

"The retirees, especially those who have never studied in a university before, can experience campus culture by studying in an elderly college that is affiliated to a traditional university," he said.

Founded in 1997, the college for the elderly that is affiliated to Shanghai Normal University offers 100 courses across eight schools, including instrument, music, and drama.

Presently, there are nine traditional universities in Shanghai that offer education for the elderly, including the East China University of Science and Technology and the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics.

Apart from learning new skills, students at the college for the elderly affiliated to Shanghai Normal University often volunteer in nursing homes in Xuhui and Minhang districts. At the elderly college affiliated to Donghua University, those enrolled in the fashion course get to showcase their creations at a fashion show every semester.

According to the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, the supply of educational resources for the elderly is unable to meet the current level of demand. The fact that the aging population is soaring in Shanghai has not helped matters.

It is estimated that by 2020, the elderly population will hit 5.4 million, or 36 percent of the total registered population.

According to Huang, there are presently more than 8,000 elderly students enrolled in the college affiliated to Shanghai Normal University, a sharp increase from around 200 when it first started.

"We can't take more due to limited space and resources," Huang said.

But he noted that more universities would run similar colleges to meet the growing demand and government support is mandatory.

"The number of the colleges for the elderly affiliated with traditional universities in Shanghai has remained at nine for more than 20 years," Huang said. "There is an urgent need for support from the local government to expand education offerings to the elderly."