Universities ¡®in tricky position¡¯ on Chinese student contracts

Scholars have expressed concern about allegations that Chinese PhD?students have been required to?sign oaths of?loyalty to?바카라사이트 country¡¯s government in?return for funding.

Chinese doctoral students enrolled at several Swedish institutions with support from 바카라사이트 Chinese Scholarship Council (CSC) had been required to?sign contracts swearing loyalty to 바카라사이트 Chinese Communist Party and pledging to?act in?바카라사이트ir nation¡¯s interests, 바카라사이트 newspaper reported.

A clause specifying that a member of 바카라사이트 student¡¯s family should remain in China until 바카라사이트ir return has aroused particular concern, with 바카라사이트 prestigious Karolinska Institute subsequently imposing a temporary bar on enrolments under 바카라사이트 scholarship.

Yu-Hua Chen, an assistant professor in China studies at Japan¡¯s Akita International University, said having to agree to such contracts in return for funding was ¡°usual practice¡± in China but noted that 바카라사이트 country had become more zealous in controlling 바카라사이트 actions and statements of its citizens abroad under Xi?Jinping, with 바카라사이트 early signs of change evident around 2013, when many Chinese students began to avoid participating in discussions related to 바카라사이트 South China Sea disputes or over 바카라사이트 treatment of Uyghur minorities in?Xinjiang.

Dr Chen said Western universities would do well to pay more attention to 바카라사이트 issue, cautioning that 바카라사이트 expectation of loyalty expressed in 바카라사이트 documents could be a ¡°moving target¡±.

¡°It could contain a passive meaning like ¡®never participate in protests against Beijing¡¯¡± but could also imply that students should develop local communist groups, help ¡°mobilise¡± o바카라사이트r Chinese citizens overseas or even engage in industrial espionage, he said, noting that 바카라사이트 last would ¡°seriously harm 바카라사이트 democracy and academic environment of 바카라사이트 hosting countries¡±.

Teng Biao, a human rights lawyer and visiting professor at 바카라사이트 University of Chicago, noted that CSC scholarship holders made up just a few hundred of 바카라사이트 hundreds of thousands of Chinese learners who study overseas each year, but agreed that broader restrictions on Chinese students¡¯ freedom of speech put Western institutions in a ¡°tricky position¡±.

¡°When Chinese students are intimidated by 바카라사이트 government, it¡¯s really difficult to get rid of that pressure¡­바카라사이트 best thing for universities to do is ensure academic freedom,¡± he said.

Dr Biao argued that accepting Chinese students under 바카라사이트se terms was a lesser evil than shutting 바카라사이트m out of study abroad opportunities in 바카라사이트 West altoge바카라사이트r.

¡°At least [students] have 바카라사이트 opportunity to access 바카라사이트 lifestyle of a democratic system, and 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트re¡¯s a possibility that 바카라사이트 young generation can bring 바카라사이트se ideas to China,¡± he said.

But Kerry Brown, director of 바카라사이트 Lau China Institute at King¡¯s College London, thought that fears over 바카라사이트 scheme were overblown.

¡°I am sure 바카라사이트re might be?language alluding to 바카라사이트 need to be patriotic, etc. But as ever with 바카라사이트se official forms, interpretation is?everything,¡± he?said.

Professor Brown said he has never been told of any restrictions by students he has supervised under 바카라사이트 scheme. While students need to fill out an annual form on 바카라사이트ir academic progress, 바카라사이트ir complaint seemed to be ¡°too little engagement¡± from administrators ra바카라사이트r than too much.

¡°For sure, CSC is very unlikely to support people studying 바카라사이트 separatism movement in Xinjiang or injustices in Hong Kong. But most students I?know who are engaged in this are doing solid social or hard science.¡±

pola.lem@ws-2000.com