From the People's Daily App.
This is Story in the Story.
In China, many universities today require students to take courses on mental health that involve discussions about romantic relationships.
The college love courses cover common issues like finding love, resolving conflicts and overcoming breakups, explained Sun Yuwei, a psychologist who offers consultation services for students at Beijing Foreign Studies University, Beijing Institute of Technology, and Minzu University of China.
Tianjin University offers Love Theory and Practice.
And a course on relationships at Wuhan Polytechnic University was an instant hit when it was first offered.
Over 1,000 students vied for one of the 80 slots.
The class covers topics like affection and mutual attraction, input and rewards in a relationship, and sex, conflict and violence.
Chinese universities have stuck to a knowledge-centered model, with the priority of teaching placed on imparting "facts" rather than cultivating abilities, but that is changing as demand for alternative studies continues to grow.
Today’s Story in the Story looks at how universities in China now offer courses on inter-personal relationships as Chinese college students yearn to gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be in love in today’s Digital Age.
Two young people enjoy a candle-lit dinner together in a restaurant in Hong Kong. (Photo: China Daily)
It was "unconventional" to have romantic relationships when Hu Yue was a college student in the 1980s. "There was no education about relationships," said the head of the psychological counseling center at Dalian University of Technology in Northeast China's Liaoning Province.
"Society was still traditional. People who fell in love tended to keep it secret," Hu explained.
Today, it's commonplace for youth to openly engage in romance.
And a growing number of young people are hoping to learn how to handle the ups and downs and ins and outs of love.
Every time 21-year-old college student Wang Yinuo uses the popular Chinese video-sharing site Bilibili, she checks the account of XujieMrXu to see if its operator, 24-year-old Xu Jie, has posted a video.
Xu is an entrepreneur and part-time lecturer on PowerPoint presentation creation and public speaking at his alma mater, Nankai University.
His videos on the subject of relationships have won him 118,000 followers on Bilibili since he started posting them in July 2017.
Bilibili recommended Xu's videos to Wang, so she started to follow Xu because she wanted to know how to approach her crush.
Xu decided to make the videos when he noticed that many single women in their late 20s wanted relationships but didn't know how to go about it.
"They were successful in their careers but made foolish mistakes in their relationships and were even badly hurt due to their inexperience," he said.
Almost 80 percent of Xu's followers are women, and 52 percent have never had a boyfriend or girlfriend.
The most popular videos are “How to Know If a Guy Likes You” and “Five Mistakes Women Should Avoid When Attracting Men,” and both have gained over 160,000 views each.
Xu creates the clips in his spare time, "just for pleasure, just because I think they're meaningful and can help others.”
Xu Jie makes videos to give dating tips. (Photo: China Daily)
Peking University instructor Li Tonggui introduced a course about the psychology of love in 2005.
It was initially an elective for psychology majors and then became available to all undergraduates.
The class doesn't deal with tips for managing love but, rather, examines theories about intimacy.
Class participation is high. Although only 150 students can enroll every year, over 300 attend on their own.
Many universities also require students to take courses on mental health that involve discussions about romantic relationships.
Students are enthusiastic about these classes and actively join in-class discussions, said Dalian University of Technology's Hu.
"Love is at least as important as academic achievement and career," Hu said.
Some young people turn to psychologists when they experience relationship problems.
"We try to guide young people so they have a good understanding of love and of themselves," said Hu.
Xu said a common problem is many people do not clearly know what kind of partner they want.
Sun attributes this to Chinese parents' excessive control over their children's lives.
"Children can't develop strong decision-making abilities if their parents make decisions for them," she said.
Hu said many young people have never considered this.
"They approach love instinctively and search for partners who resemble their heterosexual parents, but that's perhaps not a reliable approach," she said.
People should also learn about relationships from family, school and society, Hu recommended.
Hu believes that, in fact, fewer men are interested in pursuing women.
"Some say they'd rather play computer games than chase girls because it's troublesome," she added.
Hu feels that taking the lead to start a relationship is a sign of confidence.
"Pursue the person you love based on what you know," she emphasized, stressing "mutual understanding is key."
(Produced by Nancy Yan Xu, Lance Crayon, and Brian Lowe. Music by: bensound.com. Text from China Daily and Global Times.)