Published on : 10/07/2024
The first panda college in China has recently started its inaugural enrolment, planning to admit 50 undergraduate students.
The news immediately sparked attention, and netizens started guessing: Is this a major specifically for studying pandas? Can the students "play" with pandas while taking classes? How can one get into this major?
Focus on panda conservation research with rich curriculum
The college is newly set up on the basis of the Life Science College of the China West Normal University.
What will student actually study at the panda college? It's certainly not about just playing with pandas. This college focuses on panda conservation research, which also involves cutting-edge technology and offers a rich and diverse course structure.
The college's main major is Wildlife and Natural Protected Area Management, which not only offers comprehensive subjects such as zoology and botany, but also offers specialised courses tailored for this field with opportunities for students to interact with pandas as interns.
It is reported that the school will arrange for students to have internships in national conservation areas such as Liziping (栗子坪) and Tangjiahe (唐家河), to better understand panda habitats, the conditions of pandas in the wild, and panda domestication and breeding.
Read more: Ten Endangered Animals in China: "Most Lovable National Treasure" Panda
Providing talents for giant panda conservation
Currently, the panda college has an enrolment quota of 50 students nationwide, including 35 from Sichuan Province and 15 from outside the province.
A teacher at the panda college said they hope the first batch of students, after 4 or 7 years of studying, could become the main force in wildlife conservation and research.
As a national treasure of China, survival conditions and conservation of pandas have always attracted wide attention. The establishment of the first national panda college will help cultivate more personnel with professional knowledge and practical skills.
Read more: Face recognition for panda? Protecting China's national treasure with advanced technology
With the total population of wild giant pandas in China growing from approximately 1,100 in the 1980s to nearly 1,900 and the range of habitats also expanding and optimising, the IUCN Red List has downgraded giant panda from "Endangered" to "Vulnerable".
The total number of captive giant pandas worldwide has reached 728, and another 10 bred in captivity have been successfully reintroduced to nature after rewilding training and integrated into wild populations in different regions.
Read more: Chasing Pandas in Sichuan! Overview of 3 Panda Bases
