Tianjin (China): Chinese university tutor Xie Shu’s core subject is Communist ideology, but he has diversified from the dry annals of political doctrine for a more hands on subject: Seduction.
His ‘Theory and Practice of Romantic Relations” course at Tianjin University includes lectures on pick-up techniques, self-presentation and how to entice the opposite sex.
“How should you react when you’ve been rejected?” Xie asked his young charges at one lecture, in a café on the campus in the northern port city. “Clearly, don’t throw the roses that you bought the girl at her—keep calm.”
Tianjin is China’s first university to integrate such a course into its curriculum, giving students credit towards their degrees for attending—an indication of slowly loosening social norms in China after decades of more straight-laced traditionalism.
“Be courteous. Serve the girl before yourself. But don’t go overboard, either,” he advised.
His female charges, he suggested, should run their hands through their hair and ‘look the boy in the eye even if they feel intimidated”.
“girls, in particular, often don’t know how to balance their feelings and outside expectations.”
The Tianjin programme is the brainchild of Wang Rui, 23, the co-founder of a student social club at the university.
“Some students are desperate to have an experience while in university, at any cost, no matter with whom,” she said. “But we teach a correct take on love.”
Other than flirtation, the course includes seven other sessions on topics ranging from the psychological to the pragmatic, with titles such as “Before You Love Others, You Must Love Yourself” and “The Legal Problems of Romantic Relationships”.
But sex is not on the curriculum. The country’s traditionalism means only a minority of its school have sex education.
Agencies
