Early success

Mao Yi, an associate professor at Jinhua University of Vocational Technology, teaches the green skills course. She also worked with the panel that compiled the course textbook.

"At first, I had no idea how the lessons should be taught," the 42-year-old teacher recalled.

She would ask her students to vote on locations for the classes. The sites they chose included tree-lined streets, bustling markets, grassland next to a pond and a barbecue spot on the urban periphery.

According to Mao, green skills are required in all aspects of a person's daily life, including clothing, food, housing and transportation.

"We were 'crossing the river by feeling for stones' at the beginning," she said. "Now that we are in our third year, the path is becoming clearer."

He Youjing remembered that once he and his classmates had gone cycling with Mao on a shared bike to learn about green transportation. The teacher also taught them how to turn leftover food into delicious dishes to reduce waste, and showed them how to conduct water sample tests for ponds.

Cheng Jun, who was vice-principal of the university when the course was introduced, told Xinhua News Agency that 118 students have taken it since it was introduced in 2022. Apart from the course, the university has also integrated green skills into subjects spanning 24 majors across 10 colleges.

Notably, Guan Quman, a student majoring in electronic information engineering, has devised a "smart agriculture system" using solar energy for intelligent irrigation, soil fertilizer concentration monitoring and pest identification, via AI technology. Having grown up in a farming family, he is planning to test his system at home during the summer break, hoping it will help his fellow villagers conserve resources.

Xie Shiya, a fashion design major, has learned to dye fabrics using coffee grounds, tea leaves and plant dyes under the guidance of her teacher, and has repurposed old clothing to reduce waste. Her first revamped piece was a white shirt that had witnessed many significant moments in her life, which she adorned with irises to cover stained areas.

"My dream is to establish my own brand and apply green skills in fashion design," she said.

Qi Xinya, from the pharmaceutical engineering college, joined the university's environmental protection association "Alang Guardians" to promote eco-friendly awareness. Last October, she represented Chinese youth at the Girls Go Green Asia Pacific Summit in Thailand, where she exchanged views with peers from other nations.

"Environmental protection is a major trend across the globe. I hope to contribute to the environment through learning and applying green skills," she noted.