Recently, Chinese scholars at universities have been exposed multiple times for buying the title of “academician” from overseas shady institutions. It has been revealed by mainland media that professors from various prestigious universities in China, such as Tsinghua University and Shandong University, have paid to become “academicians” of the Royal Society of Arts in the UK. The cost was stated as “2000 yuan for a year, 40,000 yuan for a lifetime,” and this practice has attracted public attention and criticism.
On September 29, the mainland media “Intellectual” released an article titled “Academicians of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce in the UK: 2000 yuan for a year, 40,000 for a lifetime, many Chinese scholars ‘elected'”. According to the article, while in the past Chinese scholars have boasted titles from fake institutions like the European Academy of Engineering and the US National Academy of Artificial Intelligence, a new trend has emerged with the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) in the UK becoming a target for many mainland Chinese scholars to purchase titles.
The article clarified that RSA is not a fake institution. It received a Royal Charter in 1847 and officially adopted the “Royal” title in 1908. However, it is important to note that RSA is distinct from the renowned “The Royal Society” which was established in 1660 and serves as the National Academy of Sciences in the UK, with a highly selective process for electing members. In 2026, only 94 individuals were elected as fellows of the Royal Society, with only 4 scientists working in China and an additional 6 overseas Chinese scientists.
In contrast, becoming a member of RSA (RSA fellow) is straightforward. Applicants only need to apply directly on the RSA website, be over 18 years old, acknowledge the vision and values of RSA, pay a one-time registration fee of 75 pounds, and an annual membership fee of 219 pounds (equivalent to over 2000 RMB). For those seeking a lifetime membership (Life Fellow), the fee is 4,500 pounds (approximately over 40,000 RMB).
The article provided an example of a professional in the biomedical industry from mainland China who easily became an RSA Fellow by spending about ten minutes on the RSA website, filling out the necessary information, paying the registration and membership fees, and receiving confirmation shortly after.
Critically, the article emphasized that these so-called “academicians” are being promoted by many universities in China as “top-tier talents”. The titles of these “academicians” frequently appear on individual teachers’ profiles, university recruitment advertisements, and are even included in government departmental work summaries.
For instance, a college under a prestigious university published celebratory news, announcing the successful election of a professor as a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (FRSA); a medical school from another university congratulated one of its professors for being elected as a Fellow of the RSA in their official WeChat posts; and a technology department in a northern province highlighted the introduction of a “Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce” as a case study for actively recruiting high-level talent teams.
Finally, the article listed some high school teachers and scholars from various institutions who have obtained the title of “academicians,” including Tsinghua University, Tongji University, Beijing Institute of Technology, Wuhan University, Shandong University, Shantou University, Shanxi University, among others.
Online comments reflected the irony in academia, with one saying, “The academic world is full of humor,” and another expressing dismay, “It’s outrageous!”
(Article sourced from NTD News)