Using gaokao scores outside China

There’s a lot that’s unnerving about the rise of China: their no-questions-asked support for authoritarian regimes, the worsening arms race they are in with the US and others, the surveillance state they have developed, and their massive contribution to climate change, to start with. One element that hits close to home is how their gaokao university entrance exam — which tests loyalty to the Chinese state as well as knowledge — is starting to be accepted for admission to western universities including the University of Toronto and McGill.

Judging by my own teaching experience, a significant fraction of people admitted to university on the basis of Chinese credentials don’t have the English language and other skills necessary to succeed in an undergraduate program taught in English. It’s even more uncomfortable to think that people will be getting in using scores that were awarded for properly parroting back the ideological preferences of the Chinese government.

Author: Milan

In the spring of 2005, I graduated from the University of British Columbia with a degree in International Relations and a general focus in the area of environmental politics. In the fall of 2005, I began reading for an M.Phil in IR at Wadham College, Oxford. Outside school, I am very interested in photography, writing, and the outdoors. I am writing this blog to keep in touch with friends and family around the world, provide a more personal view of graduate student life in Oxford, and pass on some lessons I've learned here. View all posts by Milan