Netizens baffled by China’s first marriage-related university degree

A university in Beijing will launch China’s first marriage-related degree programme in September to train professionals for the wedding and matchmaking industry.

But many netizens are questioning the need for such a course given China’s declining marriage rate.

The new programme is offered by the Vocational University of Civil Affairs, which comes under the Ministry of Civil Affairs in China.

It aims to train students to provide services that cater to all aspects of a marriage cycle, and is set to enrol 70 undergraduates from 12 provinces, reported state broadcaster CCTV.

According to online publication Sixth Tone, the curriculum includes sociology, family culture, ethics and economics, alongside training in family counselling, wedding planning and matchmaking.

Graduates can seek jobs in industry associations, matchmaking agencies, wedding service companies and various family counselling organisations, the university’s vice-president Zhao Honggang told CCTV.

However, many netizens on Weibo were baffled by the formation of the programme.

“People do not want to get married these days,” a netizen said.

Another commented: “This profession is not only a sunset industry, it is doomed.”

One user quipped: “Why not create more funeral-related professions instead?”

There were some who found the course a “very novel” idea.

The

number of marriages in China has been declining for almost a decade

until a post-pandemic rise in 2023, according to data released by the Ministry of Civil Affairs in March.

There was a 12.4 per cent jump to 7.68 million newlyweds in 2023 from a year earlier, but the number was still far below the peak of 13.47 million couples in 2013.

Many young people in China are opting to stay single or put off getting married for reasons related to job prospects and unemployment.