Shanghai, Fudan University students demand freedom of thought

​20-minute demonstration against the new university statute that submits studies to the Chinese Communist Party and Xi Jinping's leadership. The reference to "freedom of thought" and "academic independence" has been deleted. At least 26 higher education institutions have received the order from the Ministry of Education to carry out the review. All academic institutions, bodies and students are under the control of the Chinese Communist Party Committee.

Shanghai (AsiaNews) - Dozens of students from Fudan University in Shanghai sang songs in a flash-mob defending "freedom of thought" and "democratic organization" (see photo). The demonstration wanted to criticize the changes wrought to the university statutes to affirm the supremacy and Chinese Communist Party direction of studies.

The flash-mob lasted about 20 minutes and was held yesterday in the coffee shop of Guanghua, one of the university's buildings. The young people sang the anthem of the higher education institution without shouting any slogan and without displaying banners or signs. After some time they simply dispersed, but the video of their gathering spread among millions of Internet users, before being censored.

The Fudan statute now insists that studies must be under the patronage of the "Chinese Communist Party and under the leadership of Marxism and socialism"; they must support the Party leadership, put into practice "the indications of the party, its principles and its politics". More precisely, the new version requires that The university will also "weaponize the minds of teachers and students through Xi Jinping's socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era," a reference to the president's personal brand of political ideology.

The typical virtues of the academic world - integrity, service, sacrifice, unity - have been replaced by a generic appeal to the "patriotic contribution" and the reference to "freedom of thought" and "academic independence" has been deleted.

The original statute gave management of Fudan to "teachers and students" in a "democratic organization"; the new version confers responsibility to the "Communist Party Committee of the Fudan University" and its "chancellor".

Already two days ago, when the Ministry of Education announced that it wanted to change the university's status, there had been many debates on social media, before the censorship blocked everything.

The change of statutes was also requested of other universities, including that of Nanjing and the Shaanxi Normal.

Fudan is the first university to have changed its statute. At least 26 higher education institutions have received the order from the Ministry of Education to carry out the review.

In recent years, the ideological control of universities has grown enormously. All institutions, academic bodies and students are under the control of the Chinese Communist Party Committee. Particular attention is paid to controlling possible religious activities in the university.

• china
• economy
• fudan university
• freedom of thought
• academic freedom
• ideological control