Peking University plays favorites with foreign students

From 21cn:

A post on the Renren.com (a popular student social network in China) by an American student under the Chinese name Guo Jiaxin exposed the difference between Chinese students dormitory condition and the foreign students in Peking university, Chinas top-notch university and bringing the issues under the spotlight.

A Japanese student in her dormitory Zhong-guan-xin-yuan in Peking University

A Chinese student in her dormitory crowded with her stuff

Guo claimed that the university has made a lot of improvement to their foreign students dormitories during this summer vacation. They have renovated the swimming pool, the bowling center, KTV rooms, the gymnasium and the billiards room. While the foreign students are enjoying the new, well-conditioned dormitories, the Chinese students are living in the old shabby dormitories with plank bed (no mattress), and no air-conditioner. Guo also called for improvement and equal treatment for the Chinese student in her post.

A female student in Peking University said that the dormitory doesnt have enough space at all. She has to put their clothes under the bed or on the desk. She keeps only the clothes for the current s! eason an d the rest are sent back home. Most of the domestic school dormitory is 4-bed room and cost around 700 to 1000 yuan per academic year. Theres no TV, no air-conditioner in the dormitory. Many Chinese students expressed that they would like to pay more for the dormitory if the condition of the dormitory can be improved.

One officer in the management staff for student dormitory who refused to make his name public, explained that the Zhong-guan-xin-yuan is a new dormitory for foreign students. Its much better conditioned than the old one. Besides, their dormitory fees are accordingly much higher than the domestic students. And it takes time to improve domestic students dormitories and its impossible to reach the standard of the foreign students dormitories in a short period of time."

Many people find the difference hard to accept and accuse the University of being favoring foreign students over Chinese students. They joked that, though both are students in the Peking University, the foreign student dormitories are like star hotels while the Chinese students are sleeping on wood planks." Blogger Zuo Chongnian satirizes that the double standard of students dormitories is the result of some peoples over-friendly hypocrisy.

Comments from netizens:

@(student)

"If only we could enjoy the same treatment when we go study abroad"

@(lawyer)

If the Universitys fund is over tilted to the foreign student, it will ultimately harm the domestic students interests.

@(editor)

Offering a good living condition to the foreign students is offering them emotional support, they are from far away so it is reasonable.