Resigned attitude

Few students expressed shock at the recent scandals in the university system.

"I wasn't really surprised when all the news broke. This just mirrors the situation of society as a whole," said Wang Zi, a sophomore majoring in Party history at Renmin University. "We've grown up in this society and we all know what it's like. But of course, I am worried that it will damage the reputation of the university."

Wei Chongzheng is a 21-year-old senior at Nanchang University in Jiangxi province. In May, the university's then president Zhou Wenbin was investigated for alleged corruption relating to infrastructure construction. Although he felt ashamed when the people mentioned the issue, Wei was pleased to see corruption uncovered.

"People say our gate is probably the biggest among all the universities in Asia, and the university always spends a huge amount on fireworks to welcoming freshmen. We used to say that the money spent on every large firework could buy us an air conditioner - we didn't have any in the dorms until this summer," said Wei.

Wei originally enrolled as a major in public administration, but transferred to study psychology after the first year. Although academic interest was one reason for his change, most public administration majors become public servants after graduating and he dislikes the culture in government bodies, he said.

"Because we are about to graduate, some of my former schoolmates said they would treat me to big meals in five or 10 years, after they've become rich by taking bribes," Wei said.

"That's the paradox: People want to change the system, but they all want to be part of it too."

Contact the writers at [email protected] and [email protected]

Han Junhong contributed to this story.

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