Reform ‘studies’ come at a price amid high demand
Print Edition
The recently concluded Third Plenum of the Party’s Central Committee promised prosperity for all, but among the first to benefit from the key meeting are consultants offering courses interpreting the gist of the policies.
The Third Plenum, which ended on November 12, announced a raft of social and economic reforms, including easing the one-child family policy and abolishing the labor camp system.
Universities, training schools and even NGOs are charging hefty fees for explaining the policies to government officials and corporate executives.
Tuitions cost up to 8,800 yuan (US$1,444) a day for the “explanation class” for the Third Plenum or “senior research classes.”
Major universities like Peking University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Zhejiang University are already accepting applications for classes that start early next month.
Most of the lecturers are former government officials and senior researchers from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. They will highlight the core ideas behind the policies taken at the Party meeting to push the pace of reforms.
“Those applying for the lessons include government officials, teachers of Party schools and researchers with social sciences institutes at the provincial level,” said a class organizer with Peking University’s Continuing Education School.
Senior officials of state-owned enterprises and other company executives are also keen to beef up their knowledge of the new changes, besides expanding their networks of “helpful” friends.
Peking University will hold 12 classes with 12 different experts from December 7-13. The tuition is 3,200 yuan per person.
Zhejiang University’s College of Media and International Culture Continuing Education Center is charging 6,800 yuan per person for a two-day explanation and analysis lectures that start next Thursday.
The Shanghai Jiao Tong University held a lecture on November 16 shortly after the plenary session. The lecture given by Wang Guogang, director of the Financial Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, was free for its alumnus, but outsiders had to cough out 500 yuan.
The China Finance 40 Forum, a nongovernmental think tank, will also hold a research class on December 1 that will explain fiscal and land reforms, as well as key financial policies.
The one-day event will be conducted by four experts from the academy and research and development center of the State Council, or the country’s Cabinet. It costs 8,800 yuan.
A Forum staff member said some 50 people had already applied for the lecture.
“The fees will mainly cover tuitions, textbooks, classroom rent and lunch,” the staffer said.
Every lecture, expected to last two hours, will be followed by Q&A sessions.
The class will be limited to within 100 people, an official with Zhejiang University said.
Only Peking University will give a certificate to the students at the end of the classes.
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