Fudan University will offer an optional undergraduate course in homosexual studies. This will be the first time a course on homosexual studies is available to non-medical undergraduates at any Chinese university.

Set to start in September, the course will examine the health, legal and social issues relating to homosexuality, said Sun Zhongxin, an associate professor of sociology who will lead the course.

“We hope this course, which is an optional one open to the whole university, will introduce the study of sexual orientation to more and more students,” Sun told China Daily yesterday.

The course was designed for an intake of 100 students, but the number of students signing up has far exceeded that, Sun said, adding that the faculty is going to offer more places.