BEIJING: A controversial plan by Peking University to identify students with 'radical thoughts' has sparked outrage from academics and students.
Under the scheme, to be rolled out campus-wide in May, university administrators will screen students who fall under 10 categories that require 'special help'. These include those with radical mindsets, those who are 'psychologically vulnerable' and those who have breached campus rules.
Such students will then have to undergo consultations with teachers and university administrators.
Politics professor Zhang Ming from Renmin University was scathing in his response.
'It is going too far for a respected university to openly control radical minds,' Prof Zhang was quoted as saying by the South China Morning Post.
'Aren't we going back to the days of the Cultural Revolution? This is hateful and terrible,' he added, referring to the period from 1966 to 1976 when any dissenter was purged.
Many also questioned the meaning of 'radical thoughts'.
Prominent scholar Yu Jianrong, director of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' social issues research centre, openly mocked the policy on his microblog.
He wrote: 'I don't know how Peking University defines 'radical-minded'. May I request that the university's party committee publicise the standards so all colleges around the nation can learn from it?'
Other intellectuals claimed the spirit of the university is dead, with renowned Chinese writer Zhang Yihe saying it has become a 'madhouse'.
Peking University has long been a bastion of liberal thinking in China, having led the anti-imperialist May 4 revolution of 1919 and pro-democracy Tiananmen Square protests of 1989.
Mr Zha Jing, deputy director of the university's student work department, defended the policy, saying the focus is mainly on students who frequently fail examinations or encounter difficulties in their studies.
'We try to discover the reasons for students' poor academic performance in order to help them successfully complete their courses,' he told the Beijing Evening News.
He explained that students with 'radical thoughts' include those who are overly critical of the university's management.
'For instance, some students criticised the university just because the food price in the canteen was raised by a few cents,' he said.
In a separate interview posted on the Peking University website, Mr Zha said the university neither wants to control nor punish its students.
A trial run of the scheme has been carried out at the university's Yuanpei College and Health Science Centre since November last year. Mr Zha said there have been 'a series of successful examples'.
But many are unsure how it would be useful.
A Peking University undergraduate, who wanted to remain anonymous, told the China Daily: 'I don't believe you can actually improve a student's academic performance or change someone's personality by talking.'
