Chinese influence at European universities
31.7.2020
Question for written answer E-004477/2020
to the Commission
Rule 138
Christine Anderson (ID)
In recent years [1] China has begun to fund many European universities and has expanded its soft power into the academic sphere. As we all should know at this point, Chinese money does not come without strings attached, and some of the courses that have been funded have been tantamount to propaganda [2] . Meanwhile, European universities continue to accept ever-increasing numbers of Chinese students. It has been argued that by allowing Chinese students to study and spend time here in Europe, we may be able to influence their values and in the long run, bring China’s values closer to those of the West. But so far, little or no empirical evidence exists that studying in Europe causes Chinese students to embrace Western values.
In the light of this, I would like to know:
- 1.What measures the Commission intends to take to limit China’s influence at European universities.
- 2.Whether the Commission would consider commissioning longitudinal values surveys to ensure that Chinese students at European universities are adopting Western values during their time here.
- 3.Whether the Commission would agree to withdraw EU funding from universities that receive funding from China (other than tuition fees from Chinese students).