The 'loneliest' major in China, only 1 student graduates each year

In 2010, after a female student named Tiet Dat Pham posted a photo of herself at her graduation ceremony on social media, the Paleontology department of Peking University became widely known.

Before that, few people knew that such a major existed. The name of the major made people think of difficult subjects. That's why Tiet Dat Pham became famous because she was the rare person who chose and was able to complete the program of this strange major.

After many years, Xue Yifan is still one of the few students with a bachelor's degree in Paleontology at Peking University.

Paleontology is a branch of science that studies the history of life on Earth, studying ancient animals and plants based on fossils found.

Xue Yifan's graduation photo that went viral. (Photo: Baidu)

She shared that this is not an easy subject to study because learning knowledge is difficult but going to the field to search for fossils is even more difficult.

For women, having to work and research continuously in outdoor conditions and dusty archaeological sites is quite difficult. But because of her passion, this girl still decided to follow through and not give up halfway.

However, after earning a bachelor's degree in Paleontology, Tiet Dat Pham switched to the medical field. Currently, she is a doctor specializing in cancer treatment.

The former Peking University student said she still loves her major in Paleontology, but choosing a different path is not surprising.

Liu Yue, who studied Paleontology, said that from 2008 to 2016, only 7 students in this major graduated. Although there were more than 1 student enrolled initially, during the research process, most of them dropped out, and only a few were able to stay. 1 student/course is a 'miracle' for this major, because there were years when there were no students in this major.

Because of that uniqueness, Paleontology is known as the "loneliest" major not only at Peking University but also in the whole country.

Liu Yue said he had received many questions from people about the scores. Some people asked why the school did not lower the scores or have special policies to attract students.

Liu Yue explained that to pursue this major, students need many factors. It is not just because of quantity that the school lowers the quality of admissions. For many years, the school has never given special treatment to students studying this major.

When he was still in school, his relatives and friends often misunderstood that Liu Yue's major was Archaeology. Every time he explained, Liu Yue said that Paleontology students would go to the mountains to dig for bones and fossils, while Archaeology students would excavate ancient tombs.

Although it is a “lonely” major, Paleontology students rarely have to sit through classes with just one person. Many courses overlap with other majors, so students are often placed in shared classes. Paleontology students still have many opportunities to socialize and make friends.

Unlike Tiet Dat Pham, Luu Nhac continued to pursue his passion after graduating. Now he has become a lecturer in this field.

Although the learning process is difficult due to its specific nature, the Paleontology major is still considered to bring promising jobs. Graduates of this major are rarely unemployed, after graduation they can work for research institutes, museums, conservation areas, and mining companies.

To date, there are not many schools in China that offer training in this field. However, Peking University still maintains enrollment and is determined to ensure quality personnel for this research field.

Hieu Lam (Source: Huanqiu)

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/chuyen-nganh-co-don-nhat-trung-quoc-moi-nam-chi-1-sinh-vien-tot-nghiep-ar905241.html