This is Roundtable.
You share a room, you share the space, and probably share some of the chores.
But what if your roommate also runs a business from their top bunk?
Across China, students are launching side hustles right from their dorm rooms.
Manicures, barber shops, cleaning services.
They are creative, yes, and they are ambitious, but it's also a bit messy.
When does a side gig cross a line?
Coming to you live from our studios in Beijing, this is Roundtable.
I'm Steve Hatherly.
Thank you very much for being here.
With us today and for the show, I'm wishing you and you shine first up: a manicure studio beside a bunk bed.
A student barber shop set up on a dormitory balcony.
Even students offering on-demand dorm cleaning services.
Across Chinese universities, ordinary dorm rooms are becoming students' first startup spaces.
What begins as a side hustle to earn a little
extra living cash is increasingly turning into a real entrepreneurial experience.
But...
as dorm businesses become more common, so do the debates surrounding them.
Are these small businesses a valuable form of social practice and innovation,
or are they crossing important boundaries in shared campus living?