Chinese universities have lost their way during the recent period of rapid transformation and development. While they have shed their old Soviet style, they've failed to transition to a model that mirrors American institutions. Instead, what we see are government monopolized "diploma mills" that treat education like a business. Universities have become a place where certain interest groups reap huge profits. In fact, these kinds of educational institutions should not be referred to as universities, but rather identified as the burden that they really are.

Zhang Ming (张鸣), a well-known Chinese scholar; Professor of Political Science at Renmin University of China

Chinese original: 何为理想大学之一：为什么要有大学？
German translation: Quo vadis, Alma Mater?