College associations boom in Shanghai

According to Shanghai Youth Daily, half of college students in Shanghai register in different associations in their schools, and more than 80 percent of them attend various activities launched by college associations.

Shanghai Students' Federation reveals that college associations in Shanghai have doubled since 2004, and college students enjoy participating in activities carried out by those associations with bright innovations and social practices.

There were nearly 2,100 college associations in Shanghai in June 2006, compared with 1,216 in 2004, or an increase of 72.7 percent. These associations have developed into 6 categories, including theory research, technology development, social practice, hobbies, voluntary activities and comprehensive ones. The number of registered members of these associations has so far reached 168 thousand, or 49.1 percent more than 2004.