Psychological counseling for students is still weak in China and waits to be enhanced, said Zhong Binglin, president of the Beijing Normal University.

At present, psychological problems of Chinese university students were mainly caused by study pressure and failure in love.

Statistics show that 16 percent to 25.4 percent of Chinese university students have psychological problems. And this figure keeps rising. Some experts attribute this to the only-child family structure that make parents adore their child as "little emperor".

Zhong said Chinese universities should create an optimistic and upright on-campus atmosphere, encourage an interactive relationship between teachers and students, and improve psychological counseling service for the students.

Although a number of universities have established psychological counseling service, the Chinese students do not get used to it. "Some students are not willing to talk about privacy and some do not trust in the counselors that are not specialized in the field," Zhong said.

Antonio Novoa, president of the Lisbon University of Portugal, said his school also faced the surging psychological problems among students.

He said freshmen at the age of 18 or 19 usually have no idea of what they should study at present and what they can do in the future. Therefore, they may find they are not interested at all in the subject they choose before they enter university.

In the recent 10 to 15 years, 40 percent of students quit or asked to quit school at the freshman year. "It is mainly due to lack of psychological counseling service," Novoa said. Having realized the problem, Lisbon University set up psychological counseling office and appointed specific working staff. With the situation being improved, the university also mobilized excellent teachers to join the counseling service, so that students may be better cared.

"Different schools have different ways," said Roderick Fraser, honorary president of the University of Alberta in Canada. In his school, one excellent senior student will be assigned to take care of 10 freshmen, so that the past successful experience to overcome difficulties can be passed on.

"University should be a patient shepherd safeguarding the young men," said Ian Lesley, vice-president of the Cambridge University of Britain. Every institution in Cambridge has its own psychological counseling service, and students are required to participate in community activities.

"In this way, a student failed in a test may find certain achievements in communities," he said.

Zhong Binglin indicated that psychological counseling service is still at an initial stage in Chinese universities. And the teaching staff should upgrade their knowledge to better instruct the students.

Earlier this year, psychological counseling was listed among the research subjects for the master-degree study on education. A total of 49 Chinese universities will carry out the research. ¡¡