Learning without limits

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."