The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has ordered foreign-funded universities to establish Party units and grant decision-making powers to a Party official. This reverses an earlier promise to guarantee academic freedom. According to the PRC Education Ministry directive, Party Secretaries at each education joint venture will be given Vice Chancellor status and a seat on the Board of Trustees. The directive was drafted by the CCP CC’s Organisation Department. Discussions among Party and Education Ministry officials began in August 2017, but the formal decision to implement it was made after the 19th Party Congress, at which Xi Jinping said that “Government, military, society and schools — north, south, east and west — the party is leader of all.”
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