Come home, uphold the reputation of the motherland or be fined, China tells its postgrad students on state-funded scholarships.
What’s execrably interesting is that these scholars are also banned from engaging in activities that will “damage China’s interest and security”. Has someone done something wrong recently?
Sep 29, 2007
Postgrads on scholarships ‘must return’
BEIJING – STUDENTS who obtain postgraduate degrees abroad on state-funded scholarships must return to China and are required to work domestically for two years, China’s Education Ministry said.
Scholarship recipients must sign a contract with strict regulations, including banning activities that ‘will damage China’s interests and security’ and requiring them to ‘uphold the reputation of the motherland’, according to documents posted on the ministry’s website.
The rules cover students working towards their master’s degrees or PhDs, as well as PhD students who conduct research overseas.
State-funded scholarships are generally awarded to researchers at government institutes, civil servants and teachers.
‘After finishing his studies, the student must work in China for at least two years,’ the ministry said.
Those who violate the rules are subject to fines.
The regulations were issued yesterday, the official Xinhua news agency said.
The policy announcement was dated July 16 but it is common for government notices to be posted days or weeks after they were written.
Between 1996 and September last year, more than 26,000 government-funded students went abroad and about 97 per cent returned on time, the State Scholarship Council said.
But figures show that China suffers from severe brain drain. Of the 1.06 million Chinese students who have studied overseas since 1978, only about 280,000 have returned.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
