The Chinese University of Hong Kong’s (CUHK) Lee Woo Sing College is collaborating with the social startup group Green Monday Foundation Hong Kong to offer its first credit-bearing course dedicated to plant-based living.
Named “Future of Food: Plant-based Living,” the General Education thirteen-lesson course will cover several key topics, including the animal agriculture industry, the human-animal relationship in a spatial and philosophical context, climate change, and plant-based nutrition and disease prevention.
In a statement, Professor Joseph Kwong, Dean of General Education at Lee Woo Sing College, explained the decision to launch the new course. “Lee Woo Sing College has always been a pioneer in promoting green living on campus,” he said. “In addition to the general lectures, the elements of cooking and field trips are added to the course. Students are expected to experience the fun and benefits of a vegetarian diet which will help them reflect on the pros and cons of the modern diet.”
He added, “We are pleased to partner with Green Monday, the advocator of vegetarianism in Hong Kong.”
David Yeung, Green Monday’s founder, stressed the importance and contemporary relevance of the new course. “Climate change and sustainable development are essential subjects in General Education.” He also added that “It is hoped that other institutes and schools will follow in CUHK’s footsteps to launch similar courses because time is not on our side and immediate actions are needed to arouse the awareness of the general public on [the] climate crisis.”
The course is open to all Lee Woo Sing College students.
PLANT-BASED EDUCATION
CUHK is not the only university offering a course dedicated to plant-based living.
Loma Linda University’s School of Public Health, based in California’s San Bernardino County, is offering a Nutrition Ph.D. program with an advanced research focus on plant-based nutrition. Recommended for students seeking a career in academia, the public health sector, research, and nutrition, the course will teach students about the relationship between diet and disease, as well as how vegan diets promote the health of population groups and the planet.
Even corporations are taking an interest in plant-based studies.
American supermarket chain Sprouts Farmers Market recently granted $10,000 to the nonprofit group Temple Terrace Farm2School, enabling it to launch a mobile kitchen which will bring plant-based health education to local youth. Pennsylvania-based grocery store chain Weis Markets also rolled out a wellness program named “Plant Powered” to teach people about the health benefits of plant-based food. Even Facebook reportedly offers its employees plant-based nutrition education.
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