Xiamen University in East China's Fujian province will add a new course to its curriculum this coming semester – a lesson in tree climbing to enhance the escape skills of its students, according to Xiamen Business Newspaper.

An unverified Sina Weibo micro blog account with the name "Weibo Association of Xiamen University" first revealed the plan on July 22, which was quickly circulated on the Internet.

The sports department of the university confirmed the new lesson to the newspaper, saying the idea was inspired by some of its university peers in the US who launched the course to teach students some special escape techniques.

"Of course it is not going to be tree climbing bare-handed," said Lin Jianhua, a professor with the department. "They will be equipped for safety. It is kind of like rock climbing."