近日，有媒体报道称，清华大学将取消国际留学生笔试，只要达到国家认定的HSK汉语水平测试五级就可以申请就读清华大学。一时间，有关清关大学降低国际留学生入学门槛的消息在网上尘嚣日上，引发众多网友对其双重招生标准的质疑，甚至有网友称在国内十年寒窗不如手握一纸外国国籍。昨日，清华大学招生办相关负责人就这一情况向CGTN进行了说明，表示新的录取门槛实际不降反升，且国际学生招生名额将并不挤占国内学生名额。
A recent announcement by Beijing's Tsinghua University that it would drop written tests as part of the admission process for international students has sparked a debate in China, with many saying the country's top university is making things easier for foreigners.
Starting this year, international students will no longer have to sit for written tests when they apply for an undergraduate program, unlike in the past when all students were required to take four or five tests in different subjects, followed by interviews, before any decisions were made.
Upset Chinese have argued the new policy will exacerbate the unfairness in education in the country, where it is much harder for domestic students to be admitted to prestigious universities. It is not rare for wealthy Chinese families to buy their children foreign passports before the college entrance exams so that the student will have a better chance of going to an elite school.
清华大学招生办负责人表示，清华大学本科国际学生招生将实行“申请-审核”制，以更为全面地考核报考学生的高中学业水平、中文能力、综合素质等。其同时称，清华大学也希望通过该申请制度吸引更多考生报考，增强竞争力度，并最终选拔出更佳优秀的国际考生。
Contacted by CGTN, Tsinghua University said it was adopting an "apply-review" process to recruit international students, a common practice elsewhere in the world. This was part of the school's admission reforms and not a preferential policy, it said.
While admission may look easier without written tests, Tsinghua claimed it would actually raise the threshold, not lower it, for international students: the university expects to receive more applicants under the new rule, which will lead to tougher competition.
“申请-审核”制包含两个环节：网上申请和综合测评。今年开始，国际学生申请清华大学需提交材料包括SAT，A-Levels及HSK汉语水平测试成绩等。清华大学此后将组织专家，对申请材料进行匿名评审，并经过严格面试等综合考核环节后，最终择优确定录取名单。而对于设计学类、美术学类的学生，还将进行专业加试，以此保证生源质量。
A panel of judges will study students' applications, based on their performances in SAT, Advanced Placement, A-Levels, and HSK Chinese language exams. Students in design or arts will still need to take relevant tests to prove their professionalism.
Education researcher Xiong Bingqi, deputy dean at Shanghai's 21st Century Education Research Institute, pointed out that it was necessary for universities to recruit overseas students to make it a global leading academic institution.
"International students take up more than 20 percent in Harvard, Oxford and Cambridge University, while in Tsinghua, it is only about six percent. The only way to raise the admission threshold is to improve our own strength, so that we can attract more students to apply."
Regarding the written tests, the current college entrance exam in China cannot judge students in an all-around way, Xiong added, noting that China needed to reform the system.
China's higher education institutions have leaped though global university rankings in recent years thanks to massive investment and research capacity. In 2016, a record nine institutions in China made it into the Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings, with Tsinghua University the first-ever Chinese institution to crack the top 20, coming in 18th place.
