Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College: Many universities in the kingdom are among the best in the world and are therefore popular with rich Chinese. Because some of them dislike criticism of China, the educational institutions are increasingly censoring themselves.
This was not how Youwei Ma had imagined his graduation ceremony at the University of York in northern England. Dressed in a robe and gown, he took the stage on February 7th to receive his master’s certificate – but also to present his protest banner to the assembled fellow students and guests. “Freedom for Hong Kong!” was written on it, he unrolled it in the five seconds in which he was on stage and therefore the center of attention. At home in his native China, his parents and the families of the many other Chinese master’s students were able to watch the ceremony via video. “This is a really big moment, one for the family album,” says Youwei.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
