UK university expels 50 Chinese students over fake paper

By Li Aoxue (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-11-14 08:24

Newcastle University in the United Kingdom will upgrade its checking of applications after 49 students from the mainland and one from Taiwan were expelled for providing false documents on Wednesday.

"A list of approved agents will be published on the university's website to guide Chinese students who want to apply to Newcastle," Nick Warwicker, a spokesman for the university, told China Daily on Thursday.

The decision was made after bogus agents, based in China and Britain, were paid to provide fake applications.

University officials became suspicious when the students, who started undergraduate and postgraduate courses last month, could not keep up with their work, Warwicker said.

An investigation showed that the applications and qualifications of the students were either forged or altered.

However, this will not influence Newcastle's future recruitment in China, Warwicker said.

The Xinhua News Agency claimed the move will cost the university 500,000 pounds ($743,000).

Newcastle currently has 400 Chinese students, one-fifth of its overseas intake.

A posting on a Chinese website by a man studying in the UK, said the expelled students have ruined the reputation of other Chinese students.

"Studying aboard is difficult for us, but these students have made it even more difficult."