Xinhua News Agency, Nanjing, April 8 (Reporter Liu Yuxuan) Paid internships in well-known companies, "academic emergency training" for short-term production of high-level papers, and recommendation letters from industry experts... The reporter found that some study abroad agencies launched "background enhancement" Services, students and parents can buy "plus points" for studying abroad as long as they are willing to spend a lot of money.
However, in the long run, these "excessive packaging" will harm the interests of international students.
Named "Background Enhancement" is "Fictional Material"
Compared with domestic ones, in addition to examining academic performance, overseas colleges and universities also value applicants’ experience in internship practice and volunteer service.
Some study abroad intermediaries cater to a set of so-called "background enhancement" programs.
The reporter's investigation found that such services have "excessive packaging" and even "fictional materials".
- Spend money to buy internships, just to get experience.
Mr. Ma, who has 5 years of experience as an academic consultant in a top overseas study institution, told reporters that some intermediaries even cooperate with well-known securities companies and human resources departments of foreign-funded enterprises to carry out paid internships.
The reporter made unannounced visits to a number of intermediaries as applicants.
A number of business managers have come up with internship price lists with clearly marked prices, ranging from 10,000 to 20,000 yuan to tens of thousands of yuan, and the industries involved range from the Internet, finance, and even media.
Hearing that the reporter learned from the media, a consultant for studying abroad with the surname of Liu from a company highly recommended a remote internship in a well-known advertising company.
"As long as the online internship is one month, the certificate can be issued after the end, without wasting time, and the price is only 28,000 yuan."
- Short-term research projects?
It is actually a proxy paper.
"Better showcase your academic achievements", the website of the study abroad agency put out such an advertising slogan.
These so-called "scientific research projects" charge fees ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of yuan according to the type of subject, the length of teaching, and the level of professors.
Ding, the director of a company's study abroad department, introduced that the project includes online courses and group discussions.
The reporter asked in return what is the difference between this and the on-campus curriculum, and why does it cost so much?
The other party said that after the course, 5 letters of recommendation from experts can be provided, and the group course papers will also be recommended for publication in key journals.
——The recommendation letter is templated, and some experts and the recommended person have never met.
A graduate of a "double first-class" university surnamed Chen told reporters that she and her classmates purchased the "background enhancement" service from the same study abroad agency, and the duplication rate of the experts' study abroad recommendation letters they received was as high as 80%. It is a template that is applied, written by the agency, and then signed by the recommender.”
The reporter learned that some foreign colleges and universities value recommendation letters, and some also require that the content of the letters be kept confidential to the applicants.
However, the templating operation goes against this original intention, and some experts have never even met the referee, which greatly reduces the credibility of the recommendation letter.
How does "background enhancement" work commercially?
Invited to "join" a "background improvement" project, a professor surnamed Zhang from a university in Nanjing received an email from a study abroad agency: "I know that your reputation and academic ability are recognized by many students, so I take the liberty to contact you and hope to cooperate with you. (details)..." The professor posted a question in the circle of friends: "What kind of rhythm is this, can this also become a 'commercial'? If I agree, they can 'charge' in my name?"
The reporter learned through interviews that some small study abroad agencies will cooperate with scientific research companies, and some leading agencies have special so-called "project research and development centers" to carry out business cooperation with enterprises, institutions, and university researchers.
"We don't all charge for our own pockets. A large part of the fees are commissions paid to experts and professors, and the integration of resources is not free," said a study abroad consultant.
For those companies that launched "paid internships", the aforementioned study abroad consultant surnamed Liu told reporters, "You can actually understand that companies have put some places out to 'make income', and some employees of well-known companies contact us privately without going through the company's personnel. department."
From agent writing materials to packaging academics, internship experience, etc., all links are provided with full-service team services, and quotations are issued according to the results.
Some intermediaries set up "background improvement" project companies at their headquarters to coordinate resources and sell to students all over the country to match the needs of applicants with academic and practical resources.
The aforementioned director surnamed Ding told reporters that there is a "refinement" development trend in the study abroad service industry. "Scientific research, internships, volunteers, and competitions are divided into categories. As long as there is a market demand, someone will do it, and a whole set of processes can be outsourced."
During the investigation, the reporter learned that some of the service items described by study abroad agencies may also exaggerate the facts.
However, if intermediaries fail to deliver on the promises of these high-priced projects, false advertising or even fraud may be involved.
Study abroad services should not be reduced to a "money game"
A number of industry insiders who have been engaged in education consulting for a long time admit that the so-called "background improvement" has largely become a "money game" under the coercion of intermediaries. The operation mode of spending a lot of money has destroyed the fairness of studying abroad. Serve the job of studying abroad.
Ding Hong, a researcher at the Jiangsu Academy of Social Sciences, said that the current degree of marketization of overseas study services is getting higher and higher, and some intermediaries, driven by their interests, have adopted some "biased" methods, and some even have fraudulent materials and academic dishonesty. means, and some even break the law.
Education authorities and foreign affairs departments should raise the certification threshold for such intermediaries, increase supervision, and raise the cost of illegal operations by intermediaries.
Yin Fei, vice president of the Jiangsu Family Education Research Association, told reporters that there are many academic bubbles and even rent-seeking hidden in the "background improvement".
Many international students will eventually engage in scientific research work. Against the background of academic back-checks, a fiction and falsification will affect their entire careers.
Ding Hong also suggested that students and parents who apply for studying abroad should get rid of the utilitarian view of studying abroad, and should not only regard studying abroad as a "shortcut", but make plans for the purpose of improving their abilities.