Students at Qingdao Binhai University, a private vocational university in China’s Shandong province, have recently been warned to avoid public display of affection with the opposite sex, including basic physical interaction, like holding hands or sharing earphones.
The learning institution founded in 1992 recently became a hot topic on Chinese social media, after adopting a set of controversial rules regarding public display of affection between male and female students. The new code of conduct forbids students from engaging in affectionate physical contact like holding hands or hugging, but also goes as far as banning couples from sharing trays at the campus cafeteria or earphones while listening to music. One male student told local media that they can’t even help carry their females friends’ bags without facing punishment.
And if you’re thinking that this is just another example of stupid rules that are never actually enforced, think again. Violators of the new rules face public shaming, punishment and possible expulsion. One student was allegedly caught holding his girlfriend’s hand on campus and had to clean a dirty toilet as punishment. The story was confirmed by a number of Qingdao Binhai University students who said that the institution doesn’t even employ a cleaning staff.
A manager of student affairs from the controversial university told the press that the new rules had indeed been enforced, adding that the institution neither supports nor suppresses relationships between students, but it does expect them to “mind their manners” in public. Regarding the toilet situation, the same manager confirmed that the university does it does not have any janitors, not for lack of money, but because it wants to teach the students to to be clean and tidy up after themselves.
Like other Chinese schools, Qingdao Binhai University also monitors students’ physical appearance very closely. They have a very strict dress code and my not dye their hair without a valid reason and being authorized by the university.
Sounds like a really fun place…
