Hong Kong Educator Disappointed by Oxford University Scandal

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, March 27, 2002

Hong Kong Educator Disappointed by Oxford University Scandal

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A Hong Kong educator has expressed disappointment Monday over the exposure that one of the top United Kingdom's universities has reportedly accepted an expensive "bribe" in exchange for its law degree place.

The scandal, which was exposed by a UK newspaper, revealed that two academics at the so-called cash-for-places allegations at Oxford University resigned on March 24, after both agreed to create an extra place on a law degree program for the son of an undercover reporter who posed as a wealthy banker for a 300,000 pounds (US$423,076).

The incident would have been a major shock to Hong Kong educators, parents and students alike, as the UK has been one of the most popular destinations for overseas studies in Hong Kong.

According to the British Consulate General in Hong Kong James Hodge, up to 20,000 Chinese students have gone to the UK for studies this year.

Lau Siu Kai, a professor who teaches politics and public administration at the Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said he was shocked by the incident.

Lau said, "Oxford University, like many other universities, has a decentralized management and the outbreak of the incident occurred in one of its colleges only."

"In spite of that, the detriment done to the university cannot be decentralized and will affect the university's reputation as a whole," he said.

A tip of an iceberg

The UK newspaper also revealed that John Platt, one of the fellows who have resigned from the university, also told the reporter that "In the past it has been done," referring to the selling of places, and went on to ask the reporter to remain " confidential" about the preferential treatment.

Lau Siu Kai remarked, "Well, that obviously means the university had been doing it, and no one had raised an eyebrow before - or in other words, it had been let go throughout the past irregularities."

He added that the incident has also reflected that the university's lacking funding and resorting to accepting "donations " are likely to be just a tip of an iceberg of the problems suffered by other universities in the whole of UK.

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