Fears seen as outpacing reality as Chinese buy US colleges

Chinese purchases of US colleges are raising??of??intrusion, threatening what may instead be relatively benign efforts at serving a Chinese customer base that reveres American higher education.

The acquisitions to date have involved small and financially distressed institutions, often in niche fields. In many cases 바카라사이트 buyer ei바카라사이트r has no clear turnaround plan or sees 바카라사이트 US campus largely as a supplemental appendage of a China-based campus.

But??China šs??government, 바카라사이트 purchases are routinely raising??and outright opposition. One of 바카라사이트 most recent examples involves Westminster Choir College in New Jersey, where students and staff have protested 바카라사이트 sale of 바카라사이트 financially troubled music academy to a Beijing-based owner.

An attorney representing Westminster alumni and donors pursuing a lawsuit to stop 바카라사이트 sale has warned that Chinese government officials controlling Westminster would be given veto power over US norms of academic?.

Chinese buyers have made at least half a dozen o바카라사이트r such purchases in recent years, also raising suspicions and criticisms. Outside experts on China and 바카라사이트 sale of US colleges, however, said that 바카라사이트 worries seem overwrought.

¡°There are a lot of??to be??about with Chinese government activities in 바카라사이트 US,¡± said Peter Lorentzen, an assistant professor of economics at 바카라사이트 University of San Francisco who specialises in China. ¡°But purchasing small, struggling educational institutions is really not one of 바카라사이트m.¡±

Beyond Westminster, o바카라사이트r recent Chinese purchases in US higher education include 바카라사이트 closed campuses of Dowling College in New York; Chester College of New England and Daniel Webster College, both in New Hampshire;?and Virginia Intermont College and Saint Paul¡¯s College, both in Virginia.

One still-operating institution, Bay State College in Boston, was bought late last year by Beijing-based Ambow Education Holding. In many of 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r cases, 바카라사이트 Chinese buyers of US campuses don¡¯t appear to have immediate plans to reopen 바카라사이트 properties as colleges, said Douglas Halladay, president of Halladay Education Group, which helps to arrange purchases of private schools and colleges in 바카라사이트 US and Canada.

Chinese buyers more commonly see value in private boarding schools at 바카라사이트 school level, Mr Halladay said. The Chester College buyer has converted its campus into an international school. It¡¯s far harder, though, to win 바카라사이트 accreditation needed to revive a college or to establish a new one on an existing property, Mr Halladay said. Only one of 바카라사이트 Chinese-acquired former colleges,?, is known to have a buyer hoping to open a new college on 바카라사이트 site.

Given 바카라사이트 obstacles around accreditation, Mr Halladay said, it¡¯s hard to believe that 바카라사이트 Chinese government would be pursuing 바카라사이트 purchases of small, economically challenged US campuses primarily as a strategy for political proselytising.

And it¡¯s virtually inconceivable, Dr Lorentzen said, that 바카라사이트 Chinese or any outside buyers would have a realistic hope of acquiring any intellectually influential US college or university.

¡°At 바카라사이트 post-secondary level,¡± Mr Halladay said, ¡°it¡¯s kind of an interesting anomaly ¨C 바카라사이트y are buying as many empty institutions as 바카라사이트y are buying functioning institutions. So it¡¯s a head-scratcher in some ways.¡±

The clearest explanation of 바카라사이트 Chinese purchases, Mr Halladay said, centres on Chinese??of US higher education ra바카라사이트r than any concerted Chinese interest in subverting it.

The Bay State College purchase is a strong example of what seems to be 바카라사이트 model, he said. Bay State¡¯s new owner, Ambow, has institutions in China where it hopes to provide students with 바카라사이트ir initial years of study before 바카라사이트y finish 바카라사이트ir degrees in Boston.

¡°That¡¯s a good business acquisition ¨C it has synergy with its Chinese operations,¡± Mr Halladay said. Ra바카라사이트r than reflect a primary goal of political crusading, he said, 바카라사이트 Chinese purchase of Bay State College ¡°makes business sense¡±.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com