The Hangzhou-based “Lakeside University” founded by Jack Ma and others recently changed its name, and the original stone carving of the school’s name was eradicated in front of the gate. (Video screenshot)
On May 17, Jack Ma and others suddenly changed the name of Lakeside University to Lakeside Creative Research Center, and the following day an official document was issued, stating that the unauthorized use of the name “University” was prohibited. The following day, an official document was issued, stating that the unauthorized use of the name “university” was prohibited from disturbing the educational order.
On the 18th, the website of the Ministry of Education of the Communist Party of China published the “Opinions of the Ministry of Education and other eight departments on regulating the registration and use of the name “University” and “College””, accusing some enterprises of setting up training institutions and social organizations, using the name “University” and “College” without approval. University”, “College” name for publicity and enrollment activities, causing public misunderstanding, disrupting the order of education, and asked the relevant departments to prohibit such institutions to use “University”, ” College” and other names.
The document is highly consistent with the reasons for the name change given by Lakeside University on the 17th. On the same day, the stone inscriptions at the entrance of Lakeside University were eradicated. Then the school staff responded to the land media that Lakeside University has changed its name to “Zhejiang Lakeside Entrepreneurial Research Center”, referred to as “Lakeside Creative Research Center”, because the institution was founded in the civil affairs department registered as a “private non-enterprise unit”, and not in the The name change is to avoid public misunderstanding.
The fact that Lakeside University changed its name a day before the official document was released suggests that it was informed of the news in advance. It is not known whether the document was issued specifically for Lakeside University.
Lakeside University, an organization founded in 2015 by Jack Ma and nine other Chinese entrepreneurs and academics, is located near Bathing Bay on West Lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, and provides training primarily for entrepreneurs. Ma and the other founders claim that Lakeside University is to foster entrepreneurship in China. But Rao Yi, president of Capital Medical University, accused Lakeside University of being just a money-making training course, a coterie of businessmen piling up and hugging each other.
In early April, the Financial Times of London reported that Lakeside University’s enrollment plan for the new semester had been called off. The report also cited sources saying that Beijing authorities were mainly concerned that Ma and others were using the university as a tool to cultivate followers and expand their personal power, possibly organizing top entrepreneurs to “achieve the goals set by Ma rather than the CCP” and creating a modern version of the “Donglin clique. “.
Since the end of last year, Ma’s Alibaba and Ant Financial Services have been under constant suppression. At the same time, other corporate giants have also been subject to “anti-monopoly investigations” one after another. This is seen as a political move by Beijing authorities to crack down on private companies and promote the “advancement of the state and the retreat of the people”.
In addition, Xi Jinping’s crackdown on Jack Ma is also speculated to be a political struggle, as Alibaba is said to have investments from Jiang Zemin’s family and other high-ranking powerful people.
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