Crackdown begins on business use of ‘university’ title
China’s ministry of education and eight other government departments overseeing business affairs this month announced a crackdown on the use of the word ‘university’ or ‘college’ for training institutions founded by business enterprises. The institutions were ordered to “rectify” their names.
The move comes as prestigious institutions and business schools founded by prominent businessmen have come under scrutiny as part of investigations into their business dealings, coupled with a proliferation of unregistered and unlicensed institutions.
“Some training institutions founded by enterprises and social organisations fraudulently used ‘university’ and ‘college’ in their names to encourage enrolments and promote themselves without getting approval. That has led to public misunderstanding and disorder in the education sector,” a new guideline issued by the ministry said in its circular dated 13 May.