Changes to the charter of one of China’s top universities including the dropping of the phrase “freedom of thought” and inclusion of a pledge to follow the Communist Party’s leadership has sparked heated debate and a rare act of student defiance. The changes to the charter of Fudan University in Shanghai, considered one of China’s more liberal institutions, came to light on Tuesday when the education ministry said it had approved alterations for three universities. “If I may dare to ask those who initiated the amendment of the Fudan University charter, how do you expect our generation of Fudan people to face our ancestors,” said one Weibo user.
