Recently, the Inner Mongolia Institute of National Culture and Art released news that Zhao Zijian, a researcher of the "post-95" generation, has attracted attention because he has a doctorate degree in 4 different majors and two postdoctoral experiences.
On October 11, the staff of a number of study abroad agencies said in an interview with a Red Star News reporter that according to the profile of Zhao Zijian released by the National Culture and Art Research Institute of the Inner Mongolia, the entry threshold for these institutions he studied before was not high, whether it was a master's degree or a doctorate, but if you want to win all these degrees, only the 6 master's degrees listed by it will cost about 600,000 to 1 million yuan, counting the so-called doctorate and postdoctoral, the cost may exceed one million.
The official website shows:
Inner Mongolia National Culture and Art Research Institute
There are two "post-95" assistant researchers
According to Zhao Zijian's information previously released by the Inner Mongolia National Culture and Art Research Institute, Zhao Zijian, who was born in August 1995, is a native of Huainan, Anhui. Doctor of Arts, Doctor of Psychology, Doctor of Education, Doctor of Biblical Studies. Postdoctoral Fellow in Technology Management (Art Technology), Postdoctoral Fellow in Psychology. Professor, Director of the Asian Institute for Humanities and Social Research. His research interests include media culture, art technology, consumer action, and intelligent communication.
Chiu Zijian's study and work experience shows that he received a doctorate in philosophy in performing arts from the University of Catolia, majoring in performing arts; Doctor of Philosophy from Lysim University, majoring in Psychology; Master's degree in Mindfulness Psychology from the University of Zaragoza; Master of Arts degree in Communication Studies from Hong Kong Baptist University; Master of Buddhist Studies from the University of Hong Kong; Master of Arts degree in Chinese Literature, Language and Culture from Hong Kong Baptist University; Cervantes Miguel European University, Mental Health/Psychiatric Assessment and Nursing, double master's degree, etc.
▲ Zhao Zijian. According to the website of the Inner Mongolia National Culture and Art Research Institute
After combing through the Red Star News reporter, it was found that the above schools are located in Korea, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Spain and other places.
The reporter saw from the list of scientific researchers on the website of the Inner Mongolia National Culture and Art Research Institute that the institution has a number of settings such as chief consultant, consultant, chief expert, distinguished researcher, researcher, associate researcher, and assistant researcher. Among them, in the column of assistant researchers, 3 people provided introductions, and 2 of them were "post-95s". One of them is a member of the Chinese Traditional Music Society, a member of the Chinese Art Anthropology Society, a member of the Chinese Matouqin Society, and a member of the China National Orchestra Society. In July 2022, he graduated from Inner Mongolia Normal University with a master's degree in Chinese minority art. The other person is "good at using SketchUp, PS, CAD, ID, AI, Procreate".
According to the website of the Inner Mongolia Institute of Ethnic Culture and Art, the Institute has 217 full-time and part-time scientific researchers, including 11 chief experts, 4 chief consultants, 2 consultants, 5 distinguished researchers, 86 researchers, 63 associate researchers, and 49 assistant researchers. Among them, there are 85 professors, associate professors and other senior titles, 60 with doctoral degrees, and 35 doctoral students.
Education Agents:
The barriers to entry are not high
A minimum of 600,000 yuan is required to complete 6 master's degrees
In Chiu's profile, there are 6 master's degrees, including two master's degrees in Communication Studies and Chinese Literature, Language and Culture at Hong Kong Baptist University.
A staff member of a study abroad agency told the Red Star News reporter that there are two main study programs of "Baptist", one is Hong Kong Baptist University, referred to as "Hong Kong Baptist", and the other is Beijing Normal University-Hong Kong Baptist University United International College, referred to as "UIC". The Hong Kong Baptist Church is taught in Hong Kong with a tuition fee of HK$180,000 per year, while UIC is studied in Zhuhai, Shenzhen, with a tuition fee of 150,000 RMB/year. According to the study abroad agent, the full-time master's degree study time of both is one year, and the Hong Kong Baptist Convention headquarters and UIC campus are directly awarded degree certificates by Hong Kong Baptist University.
As for whether the two degrees can be taken at the same time, the intermediary said that he can only take one degree a year, but after graduating in the first year, he can apply for a second master's degree.
Another study abroad agent told the Red Star News reporter that the normal study period for full-time students in Buddhist Studies at the University of Hong Kong included in Zhao Zijian's profile is one year, and the study period for part-time students is two years, and the total tuition fee for the Master of Buddhist Studies program in 2024 is about 140,000 yuan.
The study abroad agent said that taking this degree as an example, the entrance threshold is not high, only need to submit an application form, personal statement, recommendation letters, etc., and the English score requirement is "non-native English applicants need to submit IELTS 6.0 (subscore 5.5) or TOEFL 80 equivalent, and applicants do not need to provide official GRE scores".
In addition, according to the public information released by the study abroad agency, some majors of the University of Cervantes in Europe, where Zhao Zijian is studying for a double master's degree, adopt online live teaching, with a duration of 1 to 1.5 years and a tuition fee of about 58,000 to 68,000 yuan.
In addition to his master's degree, Zhao Zijian also received a doctorate in performing arts from Katoli University in Korea. According to the admission brochure of Catoli University in Korea, the university has three enrollment programs: bachelor's degree to master's degree, master's degree to doctorate, and master's and doctor's degree programs, of which the master's degree program includes a two-year study period, and the total tuition fee of art disciplines is about 212,600 yuan.
▲Tuition fees for some majors of Catholic University in Korea. According to the interviewee
After a comprehensive estimate of Zhao Zijian's tuition fees, an education agent said that he would only need to spend 600,000 to 1 million yuan to complete the six master's degrees listed, and if he completed all the degrees listed, the cost could exceed one million.
Expert Perspectives:
It is impossible to determine the authenticity of his academic qualifications and titles
However, it can be determined that the "gold content" is not high
In addition, Zhao Zijian's profile released by the National Culture and Art Research Institute of the Mongolia also shows that he has 22 social part-time jobs, including a researcher at the Beijing Institute of Folk Art Intangible Cultural Heritage, an academic supervisor at IICSE University, a member of the Chinese Renewable Energy Society, and a member of the Chinese Association of Rehabilitation Medicine.
On October 11, a Red Star News reporter called the Chinese Renewable Energy Society, and a staff member on the other side said that in addition to submitting basic personal information, the application of members should also submit their own majors and academic qualifications, as well as relevant academic awards, "The member's application for membership is to be reviewed, and it is required to be related to energy."
According to the introduction, Zhao Zijian is also a member of the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association, and the Red Star News reporter saw from the membership guide of the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association that the society requires different individual members to be related to the pharmaceutical profession or have a pharmaceutical practice background, and the membership fee for individual ordinary members of the Pharmaceutical Association is 100 yuan / year.
On the evening of October 10, the Mongolia Institute of Ethnic Culture and Art announced that it would suspend its employment relationship with Zhao Zijian and verify his degree and academic qualifications. On October 11, the Red Star News reporter learned that Zhao Zijian had previously studied broadcasting and hosting at Sichuan University of Media and Communication as an undergraduate and was a 2013 student.
An associate professor at the School of Drama and Film and Television of a national key university in Xi'an told the Red Star News reporter that although it is currently impossible to determine the authenticity of Zhao Zijian's academic qualifications and positions in his profile, it can be determined that the "gold content" of these academic qualifications and titles is not high.
The associate professor said that in universities and some academic institutions, there will be many people who are more concerned about their "title", some people use this "title" to participate in some academic conferences to make profits, and some people want to get some cultural satisfaction. In addition, some of these people do work in schools or academic institutions, and need to meet more people through conferences in order to increase their so-called visibility.
Red Star News reporter Fu Yao intern You Liqin