Power takes all

权力通吃(quánlì tōngchī)

In a recent interview, a member of the central discipline inspection team sent to the Ministry of Education said that the anticorruption campaign and the construction of a clean educational system should focus on key fields such as enrollment, the construction of infrastructure, purchasing and subordinate enterprises. For years, the dis- cipline inspection authorities have pointed out that enrollment, infrastructure, logistics and finance are the main areas for corruption in Chinese universities and colleges.

According to the Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Central Committee of the Communist Party China, there were 39 senior college officials investigated for corruption last year. This not only shows the determination of the anti-corruption campaign, but also the problems that exist in the supervising the education system, and the need to eliminate corruption in colleges and universities by breaking the sweeping pow- ers of administrators.

Abuse of administrative power can easily result in the trade between money and power and the overriding rule of power. The key to fighting corruption in colleges and universities is to restrict administrative power, establish a modern education system to avoid the misuse of administrative power.

The administrative affairs, educational affairs and academic affairs of universities should be managed separately. Colleges and universities should also accept public supervision.