Environmental Education, Knowledge and Awareness in China: A Case of Xiamen University Students

This study documents China’s efforts to build its formal environmental education system and explores university students’ environmental knowledge and awareness using a survey carried out at Xiamen University, which is located on the southeastern coast of China. We find that the Chinese state made rapid progress in setting up environmental studies programs in its institutions of higher education, but it took the state over two decades to build a nationwide curriculum integrated with environmental studies for primary and secondary schools. The survey data revealed that these efforts have borne fruit. Students have improved in their environmental knowledge over time. Nevertheless, students remain disconnected from most environmental organizations. This may hinder China’s efforts to harness their environmental knowledge for the sake of effective action toward safeguarding the environment. The state should help encourage further cooperation among different social groups so China has a chance to fulfill its potential to become a global leader on environmental issues.