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Mid-program evaluations give lazy grad students the boot

Still working on that thesis five years later? Well, the days of kicking back as a "perpetual grad student" in China might be coming to an end.
At a forum on "graduate student reform" held at Wuhan University, Hubei Province on December 27, Liu Yao, director of Education Review Research with Zhejiang Normal University, suggested that a mid-curriculum evaluation be implemented at schools throughout the country to monitor the progress and quality of grad students' research. If deemed not up to snuff, grads will get the boot midway.
What do you think of a mid-program evaluation for graduate students?
Jia Haiyan
A second-year communication and information systems grad student at Beijing Jiaotong University
A mid-program evaluation is harsh on us. After all, it was difficult to passing the National Graduate Entrance Exam. It is unreasonable for us to be admitted after years of hard work to be kicked out for not passing an intermediate exam. If the system aims to improve the quality of graduate students, it should strike at the root of the problem: expanded enrollment.
Li Cheng
A first-year historical geography grad student at Renmin University of China
I agree, graduate students represent the academic level of a given university, so such an evaluation can serve as quality control and protect their reputation effectively.
Rui Xutao
A first-year technical economics and management grad student at China University of Petroleum, Beijing.
Many graduate students nowadays are adopting a lax attitude towards their research. Implementation of this system could at least put some pressure on them to work harder.
Wang Hongcai
A professor of education at Xiamen University
In the long run, the system is worth supporting, but it wouldn't be easy to implement unless this system came with strict regulations.
Liu Xiaoying
A professor of journalism at Communication University of China, Beijing
Although it's a good idea, certain power checks and balances need to be pinned down. How much power will student advisors have in deciding whether to pass or fail a student? Too much power can result in corruption, bribery or other abuses.