Comment on "China welcomes foreign students, joint schools" (China Daily, Sept 6)

I was happy to learn about the scholarships provided by the Chinese government to foreign students. This will not only give American students a chance to broaden their horizons in a foreign country, but also will allow Chinese students to interact with their counterparts from another countries and culture on Chinese campuses.

However, I was taken aback when I read in the article that Kean University has a campus in China. As a former student of Kean, I know for a fact that the university has been put on probation because of weaknesses in its assessment of intuitional policies and student learning.

According to a recent report in The Wall Street Journal, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education has also found weaknesses in Kean University's assessment of general education and ethical standards, with the latter referring to questions surrounding Kean University President Dawood Farahi's qualifications.

I wonder why Chinese education organizations have chosen to work with an American university whose accreditation status is questionable. Nor can I understand why Kean University is so eager to expand its campus to overseas markets when it is beset with troubles in its own country. Wouldn't the current and future students on Kean University's China campus feel short-changed if they knew the truth about its shaking academic standing?

Mariam F. Maharaj, via e-mail

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(China Daily 10/08/2012 page9)