A recent investigation by The Boston Globe revealed that Harvard University’s “China Art Media Lab” (CAMLab) is charging each J-1 visa visiting scholar a $16,000 “administrative fee” for obtaining prestigious status at the university, despite many applicants not meeting the minimum required time on campus.
Established in 2018 by Chinese professor Wang Yuejin, the lab has since been renamed the “Cognitive Aesthetic Media Lab” and is under the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) at Harvard, accommodating about 24 visiting scholars per year.
Internal chat records from the lab and interviews with five former employees indicate that CAMLab has become a “shortcut” for some wealthy Chinese students to enter top American universities, with some describing it as “buying a Harvard status” by paying for it.
Although J-1 visa holders are required by the U.S. government to engage in academic activities on campus, some Chinese scholars who came to the U.S. through CAMLab did not meet the minimum required stay time, with reports showing that some scholars worked part-time and others spent only a quarter of their annual visit time in the U.S., with some even living in Connecticut and rarely visiting the Cambridge campus.
An unnamed former employee told The Boston Globe, “These J-1 scholars are not here for research, they are here to buy a Harvard status that they can boast about for a lifetime. For middle-class Chinese families, $16,000 for a ‘Harvard affiliation’ offers excellent value for money.”
Advertisements for CAMLab on Chinese social platforms like Xiaohongshu and WeChat openly promote obtaining a “Harvard University visiting scholar status (including official certificate)” as a means to enhance children’s resumes, social status in parent circles, and even facilitate activities like accompanying study, opening bank accounts, obtaining driver’s licenses, and purchasing homes in desired school districts.
Many Chinese parents view CAMLab as a “budget version” of gaining admission to Harvard. If the traditional routes for undergraduate or graduate admissions at Harvard prove challenging, spending $16,000 can still provide the title of “Harvard.”
U.S. immigration lawyer Dan Berger emphasized to The Boston Globe that the J-1 visa was intended for cultural exchange, not for sale. He warned that if the State Department determines that an institution systematically exchanges high fees for status, their J-1 sponsorship could be revoked for up to ten years.
The State Department’s investigation comes as Republican lawmakers and the Trump administration closely monitor Harvard University’s relationship with China. Earlier this spring, the House Committee on China initiated an investigation accusing Harvard University of maintaining cooperation with Chinese-affiliated groups.
The Harvard Crimson also reported that the State Department had initiated an investigation into complaints from former employees of Harvard University’s CAMLab.
A State Department spokesperson informed The Boston Globe that they cannot comment on the specific details of ongoing compliance reviews or individual cases.
Allegations made by former employee Yiyi Liang concerning the reasonableness of the $16,000 fee charged to visiting scholars led her to file a complaint with the State Department in May. Subsequently, CAMLab chose not to renew her contract. Liang questioned whether the administrative fee charged by the lab to visiting scholars was justified.
CAMLab raised its administrative fee for visiting scholars to $16,000 in 2025, compared to $10,000 in the 2023-2024 academic year.
Liang described feeling that the lab operated like a shadow system, exploiting Harvard’s global brand and regulatory loopholes between the U.S. and China to establish a essentially private empire.
Another core allegation from Liang was that CAMLab made her work excessively on administrative tasks, diverting her focus from the academic research she had hoped to conduct at Harvard.
James M. Chisholm, spokesperson for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, stated to The Boston Globe that the college had initiated an administrative review of CAMLab but did not prohibit similar faculty projects like CAMLab from charging administrative fees to students and scholars participating in their programs.
Wang Yuejin denied Liang’s accusations, claiming that Harvard University and other universities’ visiting scholar programs also charge similar administrative fees.
According to The Boston Globe, CAMLab’s fees are almost unmatched within Harvard University. For instance, the Harvard-Yenching Institute does not charge administrative fees to visiting scholars, the Fairbank Center charges a one-time fee of $1,000, the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs charges $5,000 per semester (up to $10,000 per year), and other common area studies or arts centers charge varying fees ranging from $0 to $3,000.
In a statement, Wang Yuejin wrote, “Due to limited resources, CAMLab, like many other similar institutions at Harvard University, charges administrative fees to enhance the quality of visiting scholars’ experience at Harvard, which is reasonable.”
Following media exposure, CAMLab’s website removed all information related to the management fee amounts and instead now states, “Please inquire for fees.”
During an interview with The Boston Globe, Liang also accused CAMLab of nepotism. She claimed that the project had collaborated with a Chinese company, Kaimu Culture Technology (Kaimu). Lu Chenchen, the daughter of CAMLab’s co-director Lu Jie, and Wang Yuejin co-founded the project.
Based on public information found by the Epoch Times, CAMLab collaborated with Xintiandi and Kaimu Culture Technology in Shanghai in an exhibition titled “Kaimu Theater: Form, Image, Spirit” in October 2023.
Wang Yuejin stated to The Boston Globe that Lu Chenchen was a student assistant at Harvard University and did not participate in any financial or administrative decisions regarding CAMLab. The contract process followed Harvard University’s standard vendor management procedures, and he and the lab had never received financial benefits from Kaimu.
He added that CAMLab only collaborated with Kaimu during the COVID pandemic.
Liang further alleged that Wang’s wife, Lu Jie, played an inappropriate role during the visiting scholar admission process. She pointed out that Lu, who lacks a formal academic background, was responsible for most interviews and made admission decisions after brief conversations with applicants.
Wang Yuejin explained that while his wife Lu assists in applicant screening, the final decisions are made by him. She volunteers without compensation, solely out of her passion for the CAMLab project.
Lu’s LinkedIn profile indicates she is an executive at Morgan Stanley and serves as chair of the CAMLab Volunteer Advisory Committee.
The other two committee members include the founder of a private equity firm specializing in financial planning services for affluent families and a Chinese executive of a state-owned petroleum company based in Boston, who previously hosted a children’s program on Chinese national television.
The Boston Globe reported that according to Liang, Lu’s involvement in the CAMLab project is highly unusual within Harvard University.
In October 2023, while selecting candidates, when Liang raised concerns about one candidate’s ability to afford the annual $10,000 administrative fee (which had increased by $6,000 at the time), Lu bluntly responded, “If she can’t afford it, there’s no need to ask further. If she can’t pay, we can’t accept. All visiting scholars must pay this $10,000, it’s mandatory. How they raise the money is up to them, it’s not our concern.”
Based on dozens of internal messages reviewed, Lu advocated for leadership positions to be offered to a well-connected intern at the lab, a move that raised concerns among other staff members.
In 2024, Lu recommended visiting scholar program candidates at least four times, even suggesting which individuals could skip interviews.
Lu conducted the interviews herself and informed staff after one screening that, “We’ve decided to admit only two students,” with one of the admitted scholars being able to attend classes on campus for only three months.