Subject: CND-US, Saturday, Dec 21, 1991

From: [email-masked]
Date: Sat, 21 Dec 1991 23:15:27 -0500

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+   C h i n a   N e w s   D i g e s t  +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

                               (US Regional)

                        Saturday, December 21, 1991
To Our Readers:
                     MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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| CND-US, normally 1 or 2 issues a week, is a supplement to CND-Global and |
| has  basically no overlap with the daily news.  CND-US provides in-depth |
| information concerning Chinese students/scholars in the United States.   |
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Table of Contents                                                # of Lines

1. CND Special News: A Recent "Blacklist" Event.........................102
2. More CAS Symposiums Next Year........................................ 58
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1. CND Special News: A Recent "Blacklist" Event.........................102
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Source: Inter-L, forwarded by Bo Xiong, excerpted and written by Xiaowen Li

Inter-L is a public discussion network for internatinal student advisors in
universities  worldwide.   It  has been reported on this network that there
were some cases that applicants from PRC  presented  fraudulent  documents.
And  a  possibly  profit-taking company which issued questionable documents
for several Chinese applicants was identified not long ago.

However, recently Ms Wendy FAN, Administrator of Graduate Admissions, Univ.
of British Columbia, posted a warning message on the net. It reads (*** are
scrambled by the editor):

"Any institution receiving applications from the following  candidates  may
wish to contact this Office before proceeding with their applications:-

NAME:   ***,  ******        DOB:  July  **,  l9**
possibly applying to ***major***
----------------------------------------------
NAME:   ***,  ******        DOB:  March  **, l9**
possibly applying to ***major***"

Even though few  would pay sympathy to any kind of  fraud  in  application,
this post immediately raised some questions. Mr Young Chul KIM pointed out:

"Based on my understanding of  U.S. laws,  the preceeding message from  UBC
is in violation of privacy of the individuals mentioned therein.  When they
furnished information to UBC, purportedly to apply for admission, they have
implicitly assumed that it would not be posted to a public domain.

"Even if the individuals purportedly provided  false information  in  their
applications,  the  content of the falsity cannot be released to the public
domain. Furthermore, the names and dates of birth are definitely "personal"
infor mation.

"Hypothetically,if UBC intends to respond to potential inquiries with nega-
tive information about the above individuals, it would be liable for "defa-
mation". While UBC has the right to make subjective judgements in order  to
facilitate  its  admissions  procedure,  it would not have the authority to
"blacklist" individuals based on such judgements.

"Regardless of the circumstances which prompted the UBC to  post  the above
message,  it should seriously consider retracting it  based on such princi-
ples."

Mr. Zahir Ahmed also pointed out:

"Recently, there have been names and/or  personal  information  of students
listed  on  the  Network  by  schools, most recently, UBC.  I think this is
illegal and most definitely unethical.  I do not know what  these  students
did,  submit  fraudulent  documents  or  were in illegal status or owed the
school some money.  It still does not justify a school becoming so  willing
to  violate  privacy  laws,  put  the  names  and d.o.b.'s and volunteer to
release additional information on students.

In reply, Mr. Bernard La Berge explained:

"Recently two people have commented on the practice of the UBC  sending out
the  alerts to other admissions officers over Inter-l saying that the prac-
tice is illegal.  I can assure you that before we started to do this, legal
counsels  of  this  university  and the University of British Columbia were
consulted. The practice falls within the  guidlines  of  their  interpreta-
tions.   This  is another area where technology, law, and ethics merge with
some tension. For your information, there will  be  a  session  at  Chicago
dealing  with  the  ethics  of computing, chaired by Mr. Ron Springwater of
PIET. Also, there will be sessions sponsored by microsig on the use, compo-
sition,  and future directions that Inter-l should take. I hope that people
interested in these issues will voice their opinions now and  attend  these
sessions.

"Since Inter-L was set up and is maintained  by this office for profession-
als in the field of  international education and NAFSA members,  the issues
of legal responsibility and libel  are not taken lightly."

John D. Hopkins, MicroSIG Chair, University of Tampere in Finland supported
the opinions of Bernard E. La Berge, he said:

"The value of a forum such as Inter-L depends on the relay of  accurate and
reliable information in a rational, professional manner.  Particularly with
legal "interpretations," it is our responsibility  to  determine  what  the
facts  really  are  before we spread our opinions to the masses.  I commend
Wendy Fan not only for her willingness to  assist  all  of  us,  should  we
voluntarily  wish  to  make use of her special resources and expertise, but
also for the effort she has already taken to insure that her  postings  are
taking place on firm legal ground."

A student, Naresh Sehgal, also support Ms. Fan, he said:

"My vote is "YES", as nothing in the said information suggests  any defama-
tion  for  the  student.  In  fact the intent was to save trouble for other
schools.  Any further information which UBC  might  share  with  interested
schools  can be used by the schools with their own wisdom and not acting in
blind faith.

"You cann't carry the personal rights issue too far, as  at some  point  it
starts  hurting  personal  rights  of  other deserving students who may get
deprived of admissions or scholarships. I think sharing of information is a
great idea as long as the receipient verifies it before use. Like any other
system, there are flaws here, but the benefits far outweigh  the  disadvan-
tages."

<Paul=Berwick@Degree@Adm=Rec=[email-masked]>, applauded  Wendy
Fan  for sharing information, even though he/she realizes the "only problem
MIGHT be the use of a date of birth.". But Mr. Zahir Ahmed insists that "it
is unethical,  if not illegal,  to put out  such information or  be willing
to share such information with anyone who calls the school." The discussion
is still going.

Because the event and discussion involve  the  already  damaged  credit  of
applicants  from  China,  and  also  the  legal  right of foreign students,
Chinese students in Canada are paying close attention to its development.

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2. More CAS Symposiums Next Year........................................ 58
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>From: [email-masked] (Gang Pei)

Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), after their holding three symposiums  in
1991,  will  sponsor  six  more symposiums in other fields in 1992, open to
both domestic and oversea Chinese students and scholars.  CAS is  now  cal-
ling  for application, and willing to help all participants to get the exit
visa. It also expresses to pay the one way  international  air  ticket  and
accommodation  for  some  participants according to the excellence of their
papers submitted.  Please  contact  with  the  coordinators  in  charge  of
individual symposium for the details:

1. Synthetic Chemistry (Synthesis & Structure of Organic,
   Inorganic, and Polymeric Compounds)
   Aug 1-10, 1992, Changchun, Jilin
   Please contact with:
   Jing, Xia-bin,  Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry
   P. O. Box  1022,  Changchun, Jilin, 130022
   Tel: (0431)-882801 ext 224;  Fax: (0431)-885653
   Deadline: Feb 28, 1992

2. Materials and Energy Sciences
   Aug 23-30, Shanghai
   Please contact with:
   Chen, Guo-ming,  Shanghai Institute of Metallurgy
   865 Chang-ning Road, Shanghai,  200050
   Tel: (021)-2528532;       Fax: (021)-2513510
   Deadline: April 30, 1992

3. Applied Mathematics
   July 10-16, Beijing
   Please contact with:
   Jiang, Wen-hua,  Institute of Applied Mathematics
   Zhong Guan Cun,  Beijing,  100080
   Tel: (01)-2562939;        Fax: (01)-2566099
   Deadline: Jan 30, 1992

4. Atmospheric Sciences & 4th LASG International Seminar
   July 20-29, Beijing
   Please contact with:
   Zhang, Zuo-jun,  Institute of Atmospheric Physics
   P. O. Box 2718,  Beijing,  100080
   Tel: (01)-2562347;        Fax: (01)-2562347
   Deadline: Jan 31, 1992

5. Electron Microscopy
   July 29-Aug 7, Beijing
   Please contact with:
   Xin, Yan,  Electron Microscope Laboratory, CAS
   P. O. Box 2724,  Beijing, 100080
   Tel: (01)-2568304;        Fax: (01)-2561422
   Deadline: Feb 29, 1992

6. Promotion of Economics by Sciences and Technologies
   Dec 15-22, Shenzhen, Guangdong
   Please contact with:
   Chang, Jing-hao, Bureau of International Cooperation, CAS
   San Li He Road,  Beijing,  100864
   Tel: (01)-3297217;        Fax: (01)-8011095
   Deadline: April 30, 1992

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