Nanchang Hangzhou University’s new 140 million yuan dormitory for international students triggers student protests

Recently, Nanchang Hangkong University in Jiangxi Province spent more than 140 million yuan to build a new dormitory for foreign students. Chinese students showed pictures of themselves and the dormitories for foreign students to compare, criticizing the school for spending too much money. The school ordered students not to discuss the incident and even shut down the school’s chat software. In response to our inquiry, the school's United Front Department denied that the move was related to the "United Front" international students.

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Universities across China provide foreign students with excellent learning and living environments, which makes domestic students feel that they are favoring one over the other. After Shandong University and Nanjing University earlier required female students to accompany international students and launched the "Study Companion" activity, which was strongly opposed by the students of the school, Nanchang Hangkong University recently spent 140 million to build an international student dormitory project, causing strong dissatisfaction and protests from the Chinese students of the school . Pictures uploaded by students show that the international student dormitory is a 2-person room with bookshelves, a large bed, an office desk, etc., while the Chinese student dormitory is smaller than the international student dormitory, with two single beds and iron beds, and the facilities are simple. No decoration.

Ms. Lu, a Shandong netizen, said in an interview with this station on Monday that Shandong University also had situations where the school paid too much attention to foreign students. She said: "The government requires citizens not to worship foreigners and favor foreigners. National pride should be above all else, but the worship of foreigners and foreigners in colleges and universities is particularly prominent. Some time ago, we had a child here because his family was poor, but he was a very talented child who did not study. I have no choice but to choose one. It would be great if you (the school) have this money to spend on your own poor students and train your own citizens." 

Ms. Lu said that why China cannot cultivate world-class scientists now is because the country spends its limited resources on international students. She said: "What's wrong with spending all this money on educating citizens? Now if we give an African student several thousand or even tens of thousands of yuan a month, how can he not eat, drink, whoring and gamble if he doesn't come to China?" It’s not fair to Chinese children at all.”

Chinese financial blogger "Zou Chenhui Finan" uploaded multiple screenshots of student dormitories on Weibo on March 31, saying that Nanchang Hangkong University planned to spend 140 million to build dormitories for international students instead of improving the accommodation environment for domestic students, triggering "strong opposition" from students on campus.

An official from the United Front Department of Nanchang Hangda University responded: "It should have nothing to do with the United Front "

Radio Free Asia reporters made multiple calls to the Party and Government Office and Propaganda Department of Nanchang Hangkong University on Monday, but no one answered. The reporter later called the school’s United Front Work Department and asked the staff whether the school’s 140 million yuan spent on building international student dormitories was for the purpose of “united front work.” An official who answered the phone said “I don’t know”: “I don’t know about this. Don’t understand.”

Reporter: “Does spending 140 million yuan to build dormitories for international students have something to do with the United Front?”

A member of the United Front Work Department of Nanchang Hangda University: "Hahaha, this should have nothing to do with it."

According to student messages, the dormitory for undergraduates at Nanchang Hangkong University has bunk beds. The dormitory environment is so bad that even computers cannot be accommodated. Although undergraduates complain about housing problems every year, the school refuses them on the grounds of "insufficient funds." In addition, the school has previously applied to build 5 new postgraduate dormitories with a total area of ​​more than 42,000 square meters. This time, one international student dormitory has a total area of ​​more than 36,000 square meters. Three buildings of ordinary graduate student dormitories cost 100 million yuan, while one international student dormitory costs 140 million yuan.

China’s preferential treatment of international students has a strong sense of “united front”

John, an alumnus of Qingdao University in Shandong Province, said in an interview with this station that Chinese universities have a united front intention in providing generous treatment to foreign students. He said: "The establishment of overseas student programs in various universities is a united front consciousness, and it is related to future cultural export and China's global strategy. Many second-generation African officials have studied in China, and it is easy to find them for some things (China) Yes. So the treatment for international students includes high subsidies, scholarships, etc. On the other hand, Chinese students have to take out loans to go to school, and many of them cannot go to college because they don’t have tuition fees.”

John said that the international student programs of various universities are also a breeding ground for corruption: "Because my friends also teach at universities, many universities have quotas for international students. Because the relevant allocations are very large and the costs are also very high, it is very easy for corruption to breed." .”

Students complained about the school ban on talking about international students in the comment area

Students protested and complained on campus forums and software, criticizing the school's move as a concept of "preferring to friends rather than domestic slaves." Some left messages saying that the school spent huge sums of money to create a comfortable environment for international students in the hope of the school. Ranking improved. After the incident, the school warned students not to discuss the incident and closed some comments and chat software on campus. Screenshots taken by students show that the school has blocked the meetings of each class cadre and prohibited discussions related to international students. It also said that the school will upgrade to train doctoral students this year. If the application for "doctorate promotion" fails, the responsibilities of the posters of the expanded discussion will be held.

Zhang Qingtai, an educator in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi, who has family members studying at Nanchang Hangkong University, told this station that most universities now treat education as an industry: "They use various indicators, such as how many international students we have, and he can spend a lot Money is used to buy papers and publish them. International students live a paradise-like life. Maybe a university needs to be large-scale, with how many PhDs it has, how many foreign students it needs, etc. To be honest, Nanchang Hangkong University is a very poor school.”

In addition, some college students from Beijing, Shanghai, Sichuan, Hubei, Shandong and Jiangxi expressed their support on Baidu Tieba to support the rights protection actions of Nanchang Hangkong University students.