Round Table China The value of university free electives
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Nov 18, 2025 Yu Shun, a specialist in university curriculum design, joins the discussion on the dichotomy of public courses in Chinese universities. They explore why some electives inspire while others fall flat. Shun highlights the impact of faculty incentives on teaching quality and emphasizes the value of electives in revealing student interests. The conversation also touches on the need for institutional reforms to enhance course offerings and the responsibility of students in engaging with their education.
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Purpose Beyond Credits
- Public courses should broaden horizons, not just serve as graduation checkboxes.
- The challenge is rebuilding a system that nurtures critical thinkers rather than credit collectors.
What Public Courses Cover
- Public courses give foundational, interdisciplinary exposure and cultural literacy across majors.
- They include mandatory basics like college English and elective topics like film history.
Mandatory Math Memory
- Niu recalled being required to take advanced math even when it didn't match his major needs.
- He used this to illustrate mandatory public courses can feel disconnected from students' specializations.