Yu Xie: Why Chinese are Obsessed with "Brand Name" Universities

Yu Xie

Otis Dudley Duncan Distinguished University Professor of Sociology, Statistics, and Public Policy

The Social Reasons Behind The Obsession

Yu Xie, China Youth Daily, June 10th 2015 (Article in Chinese)

“一般而言，我们要对一个人进行评价，需要真正地去了解他很多具体的个人信息，但这些信息经常是缺乏的。所以在中国社会，知道某个人毕业于哪所大学，特别是本科大学，就获得了对这个人智商或者能力的一种估计，其中包含有很大的信息量。“

Translation: “Normally, when we’re evaluating someone, we need a lot of information, which is typically lacking. So in Chinese society, if the college someone graduated from is known, particularly undergrad, much can be guessed about their IQ and capabilities.”