China's first undergraduate institution for civil affairs education was inaugurated in Beijing on Friday.
China Civil Affairs University was approved to be established by the Ministry of Education (MOE) in May.
It is based on a vocational college for social management and incorporates the Ministry of Civil Affairs' research and education resources.
The university offers undergraduate programs in 25 areas, such as smart elderly care management, nursing, social work, and modern funeral management, seven of which have been recognized by the MOE as key programs in the action plan for innovation and development of higher vocational education.
Faced with an aging population and a shortage of elderly care personnel, China has strengthened efforts to cultivate skilled workers for elderly care services and improve the standardization of relevant professions.
By the end of 2023, the population aged 60 or above had reached 297 million in China, including 217 million people aged 65 or above, which accounted for 15.4 percent of the total population.
