Back to School

"Learning Center" sounds like "school." Is that what you see this as? Definitely. I always saw it as a school. The thing is, most of our students haven't been to school in decades, so it's more of a "back-to-school" feeling. Why focus on expats? It was actually always supposed to be for English-speaking people of all nations including locals, but I think it is something familiar and comfortable for the expats. If we took a class, who would our classmates be? We have the cutest 50-year-olds in the world coming to class on the first day with their pencils sharpened and expectations that often reflect decades of dreaming about this or that field. At the same time, we have a lot of young professionals who want to pursue something in their spare time, so it's really quite a mix. The common thread is simply people that want to learn. What is your most popular program? Photography is by far the most popular class. Why do you think that is? I think people have a need to capture the beautiful moments in their lives. You also incorporate community events like walking tours into your programs. Yeah, we also do photography expeditions and seminars on business, feng shui, Chinese medicine, wine appreciation, and environmentally friendly practices in half- or full-day programs. How do you gauge what sort of activities will be well-received? With this demographic, it's very unpredictable. Our activities are open to everyone, but some will attract more people than others. Any courses not currently offered that you’d like to see added? Can't think of anything right now ... I just wish some of the existing classes were more popular, like poetry or sculpture, but this is a finite market in the sense that there are only so many prospective students here in Shanghai. What program would you like to take? Personally? I would love to take the acting class and the fiction writing class but, unfortunately, I never have the time. How often do the courses run? Generally, new courses start every couple of months.

DETAILS

What: Shanghai Expat Learning Center
Where: 1 Yueyang Lu 岳阳路1号
Tel: 6467-6875
Web: www.shanghai-classes.com