Over 30 students caught faking admission certificates at University of Hong Kong

HONG KONG – More than 30 Chinese master’s students have obtained academic qualifications for admission to the University of Hong KongThe University of Hong Kong’s (HKU) business school and up to 100 students may have been involved in the fraud, the school’s director revealed in a media report on Thursday.

Most of the fake documents are linked to overseas universities. All the academic degrees of students who graduated from universities in Hong Kong and mainland China have been identified as genuine, said Cai Hongbin, dean of the HKU school. Caixin.

Some research students have been accused of submitting false admission documents. The university conducted an investigation in May, requiring all current master’s students to resubmit their undergraduate degrees, transcripts and other documents.

According to Cai, the school was alerted to the activities of online agencies that claim to be able to guarantee admission to the highly selective program for up to 500,000 yuan ($68,800).

These intermediaries have used a range of tactics, including falsifying transcripts, certificates, envelopes and seals from institutions such as New York University, to make the documents appear authentic.

READ ALSO : HKU among world’s top 50 universities

Cai stressed that the investigation has revealed that some students and parents are knowingly complicit in this fraud, while others may not know that their degrees have been forged. The “black middlemen” who help students work undercover and use various underhanded methods to help students forge academic degrees needed for admission to HKU.

Recognizing the seriousness of the situation, HKU decided to conduct a thorough investigation, despite the possibility of exposing more students.

The university is determined to send a strong message and hold all parties involved to account, rather than silently dismissing individual cases.

Cai stressed that the goal is to crack down on illegal intermediaries, hold them legally accountable and deter potential customers from using such services, even if it means students face consequences.

In response to this worrying trend, HKU is strengthening its admissions procedures, including requiring third-party platform certifications and holding interviews for some applicants.

LEARN MORE: Researchers at the University of Hong Kong develop stainless steel capable of killing COVID

The Hong Kong SAR government has also committed to working with the city’s public universities to review admissions practices and establish clear guidelines to maintain the integrity of the system.

HKU Business School topped the UTD Research Asia Rankings 2022 and ranked 18th globally. It attracts over 20,000 applicants to postgraduate programmes each year.