An important platform

The senior university is an important platform to help older people improve their cultural proficiency, engage in social life, realize their dreams and make a difference, she added.

According to the university, people age 50 or older can register online to become students and enjoy free internet-based courses.

They can access the platform via the website lndx.edu.cn, a related app and the school's WeChat mini program.

The university also provides offline courses. At one of its campuses in Beijing's Haidian district, the new semester officially opened on March 20, with more than 800 people signing up for 44 courses, Liu said.

According to a document released in August by the State Council, China's Cabinet, the country aims to establish at least one university for seniors in every county-level region by 2025. Liu said there is still a long way to go to reach that goal and meet the demand for education from the country's large senior population.

Currently, the seniors university and other schools for older people offer affordable education, and some of the courses are free as a result of subsidies offered by local governments, she said.

She added that it is very important to tap into the advantages of online education as more seniors have become accustomed to using the internet in their daily lives, while online education was used widely and successfully during the COVID-19 epidemic.

Meanwhile, social interaction is also very important for seniors, so elderly education should combine online and offline classes, which is the most suitable approach for older people, she said.