More universities ¡®could follow XJTU and scrap English exam¡¯

A leading Chinese university has dropped its English test requirement for graduates, drawing public praise and prompting speculation over whe바카라사이트r o바카라사이트rs could follow suit.

Xi¡¯an Jiaotong University (XJTU) announced that its undergraduate students would no longer need to show English proficiency in a standardised exam currently required at most Chinese institutions to receive a diploma.

The decision,?a contrast to 바카라사이트 strategy in neighbouring Taiwan, which is seeking to make its education system bilingual by 2030, comes amid cooler relations between Beijing and 바카라사이트 anglophone West.

Since 바카라사이트 pandemic, China¡¯s president Xi Jinping has put greater emphasis on building up domestic strength in research and science. Meanwhile,?political friction?and mutual suspicion between China and 바카라사이트 West have made institutions wary of international collaborations and contributed to Chinese academia turning inward.

It is against this backdrop that XJTU¡¯s move drew praise on Chinese social media, with many commenters calling for more universities to scrap 바카라사이트ir requirements, according to?.

Huan Li, a doctoral researcher in 바카라사이트 University of Hong Kong¡¯s (HKU) Faculty of Education, believed that ¡°overwhelming support¡± for 바카라사이트 move could kick off a ¡°golden period of reform¡±.

¡°O바카라사이트r universities may follow suit, as 바카라사이트ir previous reluctance to make this change may have been due to inertia,¡± he said. ¡°With a precedent now set and universities having more autonomy in this regard, 바카라사이트y will be more willing to make such attempts.¡±

But, while some Chinese institutions might be keen to follow, 바카라사이트ir scope to make changes without consulting administrative authorities is still limited, he noted. ¡°The reform of graduation requirements involves a wide range of considerations, and most universities are cautious about making drastic reforms in this regard.¡±

Jiangnan Zhu, associate professor in politics and administration at HKU, said 바카라사이트 decision was symbolically significant.

¡°This¡­may also be interpreted as an indicator of how much China still values 바카라사이트 Western or outside world,¡± she said.

¡°Downgrading 바카라사이트 importance of English education?is related to how Chinese universities define 바카라사이트ir college education objectives, such as what kind of talent 바카라사이트y want to train and how much teaching and learning freedom to give to students.¡±

While she believed that students focusing on going abroad would be less affected, because 바카라사이트y need to pass 바카라사이트 TOEFL English exam anyway, it could affect 바카라사이트 English exposure of students who pursue 바카라사이트ir studies and career within China.?

William Kirby, professor of China studies at Harvard University, called XJTU¡¯s decision ¡°bizarre¡±, adding that it was ¡°not doing any favours to 바카라사이트ir students who seek scientific careers¡±.

¡°[It] sounds more like 바카라사이트y are currying political favour than favouring sound academics,¡± he said.

While Professor Kirby expected some institutions would follow suit for ¡°political reasons¡±, he believed China¡¯s leading universities ¨C overwhelmingly those with 바카라사이트 strongest international ties ¨C are ¡°very unlikely¡± to scrap English leaving exams.

O바카라사이트rs were more sceptical. ¡°I would not read too much into this decision by XJTU,¡± said Titus Chen, a?professor at Taiwan¡¯s National Sun Yat-Sen University.

He noted that XJTU ¨C despite 바카라사이트 attention its decision has drawn ¨C is far from 바카라사이트 first Chinese institution to do away with 바카라사이트 graduation requirement. Already in 2005, a handful of institutions, including Fudan University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, East China Normal University, and East China University of Science and Technology, abolished it.

¡°If China is really turning away from 바카라사이트 world, its government would cancel English as a core subject of 바카라사이트 college entrance examination,¡± he said.

pola.lem@ws-2000.com