Chinese university opens LEGO courses

TIANJIN -- LEGO bricks have found a place in the classroom at northern China's Tianjin University, aiming to deepen students' knowledge and understanding and foster creative thinking.

The LEGO course, launched in early March, was first applied to students from the university's College of Management and Economics.

Students poured their creative thinking into LEGO bricks. For example, a mini car built by green bricks represented new energy vehicles, and a lady with a shining diamond driving the car meant that the brand's targeted consumers were wealthy females.

"I can gain a deeper understanding by building LEGO models, and sharing ideas with others can trigger more insights," said student Jiang Zixiao.

According to teacher Shi Yingjie, the course is not a simple game of building blocks but a multi-level studying system that integrates LEGO and the elaborate organization of key points.

"It is appealing to students because they can probe into the subject while 'playing.' The course can cultivate students' innovative thinking, self-expression, interpersonal skills and teamwork," Shi said.

The LEGO course was introduced to the university by Shi Liangxing, the dean of Xuanhuai School of Entrepreneurship & Innovation. He said the course will also be applied to politics, engineering and architecture courses in the future.

In addition to students attending the university, teachers, middle and high school students, as well as managers from enterprises, have access to the course.

LEGO has been a massive hit in China since it entered the country over two decades ago. The Chinese market registered strong double-digit revenue growth in 2018 as the Danish toy giant expanded business in more cities and on e-commerce, digital and physical platforms.