Several of China¡¯s top universities are establishing units to monitor the politics of their lecturers after they were criticised for failing to promote Communist Party ideology.

Seven leading Chinese institutions have set up ¡°teachers¡¯ affairs departments¡± under their Communist Party committees after they were ordered to improve ¡°ideological and political work¡± among teaching staff, Hong Kong¡¯s?.

It follows the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection¡¯s publication of so-called ¡°rectification reports¡± on eight top-tier universities in late August, which followed a tour by the disciplinary watchdog of 29 universities across mainland China earlier this year, the Post said.

Those visited for the ¡°political check-up¡± included Peking 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ and Tsinghua 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, in Beijing, with the latter setting up a leading group on teachers¡¯ ideological and political work headed by its party secretary.

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Other universities were criticised after the months-long inspections for their weakness in promoting ideology, while party committees were also chastised for weak leadership and failing to toe the party line, the Post said.

Dalian 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Technology, in Liaoning province, has pledged to make annual training plans to improve the ideological and political education of teachers, according to its report.

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Beijing Normal 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ said that the ¡°virtues¡± of teachers, which include their ideological and political thinking, were included in their appraisals this year.

All universities and colleges in China are under the control of a party committee, which oversees party affairs on campus and the running of the schools.

Twenty-one other universities inspected by the commission have yet to release their ¡°rectification reports¡±.

jack.grove@timeshighereducation.com