Chinese University Offers Course That Requires Students To Call Strangers

A university in China has introduced an unconventional course, which aims to improve the social skills of the students by asking them to make cold calls to complete quirky assignments, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported.

At prestigious Nanjing University, which is in Jiangsu province, eastern China, an elective course called "Oral Expression" was launched by former television producer and director Xu Kai in 2015.

The course is designed to help young adults overcome social anxiety, build self-confidence, and improve basic communication skills.

Also read | Tricked By Fake Lottery On Facebook, 71-Year-Old In Singapore Loses Rs 16 Lakh Savings

In an era where many students prefer texting, messaging apps, and online shopping over face-to-face interaction, the class forces them to practice real-world verbal communication.

The report mentioned that as part of their homework, students are given specific tasks that require picking up the phone and talking to people they have never met before.

Assignments have included calling random businesses with unusual inquiries, ordering a specific meal from a restaurant entirely over the phone without a delivery app, or striking up friendly conversations with strangers.

Also read | Butter Chicken-Stuffed Idli Sparks 'Outrage' Online, Internet Calls It 'Culinary Crime'

While the thought of chatting with an unknown person gives many students anxiety at first, course instructors report positive results.

Many participants say the hands-on challenges help quiet their fears of judgment. It helped make it much easier to handle difficult and awkward situations, job interviews, and workplace networking.

According to the outlet, many students dropped the course because of the assignment. But those who completed it asked Xu never to cancel it.

According to Xu, the course was created to help students learn empathy. "It is never easy to express yourself, and students should learn to appreciate other people's help," he said as quoted by the outlet.

Online observers shared their opinions on local social media platforms. "This course is more important than some major courses at a university," one user said, as quoted.

"What young people today lack may not be knowledge, but basic social skills like these," another student said, as quoted.