In Folha, Viana talks about contradictions in China
Reproduction of Marcelo Viana’s column in Folha de S. Paulo.
I spent three weeks in China, visiting universities to give lectures and sign scientific cooperation agreements. I believe that strengthening cooperation with China is a strategic priority for our science, a point of view shared by the Brazilian government.
Despite the kind hospitality of Chinese colleagues, adjusting to life in China can be tricky for a Western visitor. Understandably wary of the history of “poisoned gifts” such as the opium addiction that European powers actively promoted in China in the 19th century, the Chinese government views with suspicion any digital tools that it does not control and that could therefore become vulnerabilities for the country. Popular apps in the West, such as WhatsApp and Google, are banned, and the use of major Western credit card brands is also severely restricted in the country.
Instead, everyone in China uses WeChat, a combination of WhatsApp, Pix, Google Pay, Gov.br and more, which has more than a billion users. Critics rightly point out that WeChat locates its user, allowing the Chinese government to know in real time where each of its citizens is. Proponents note that the same is true for most mobile apps and that at least no Chinese person is at risk of losing their credit card under the Magnitsky Act…
What interests me most about China are its universities and everything they can teach ours. Fenced, with entrance/exit control, and wooded, the university campuses I visited are safe and pleasant places to work or walk at any time of the day or night. Students and many faculty reside on site, which also attracts basic services such as restaurants, supermarkets, and laundromats, making each campus a genuine “university city.” Hundreds of bicycles that are free to use for students, faculty, and staff make it easy to get around and off campus. And the administration sees no problem in investing in “luxuries” such as landscaping, beautiful buildings and good hotels to host visitors.
The selection process for the best universities is very competitive and, as far as I understand, is based only on academic performance. Still, and even charging an annual fee (a few hundred dollars), Chinese universities are inclusive as few institutions in Brazil can be. The offer of quality housing and food, at a reduced cost, ensures that neither socioeconomic condition nor geographical origin are obstacles for any talented student to enter the desired course. Not least because low-income students receive additional aid, in the form of a scholarship or interest-free university loan.