Student admits forging reference for EdU PhD admission
SCMP · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
A 31-year-old student from mainland China has pleaded guilty at Fanling Court to obtaining services by deception after using a forged reference letter to secure admission to a doctoral programme at the Education University of Hong Kong. The court heard she had repeatedly failed to win a place despite wanting to build an academic career, and that she has since lost her place in the programme
Key Points
- Li Zuer, 31, pleaded guilty on Monday at Fanling Court to one count of obtaining services by deception over her doctoral admission application
- The court heard she hired a Shenzhen-based agent to rewrite a recommendation letter and falsely presented it as having been submitted by former EdU teaching staff member Ho Wai-yip in March 2024
- Ho had originally written a reference for his former student, praising her character but saying she still had room to improve her English proficiency
- The altered letter instead described Li as showing exceptional academic performance and remarkable dedication to her studies, helping her secure admission to the programme
- Defence counsel Edwin Choy Wai-bond said Li had high hopes for an academic career, was genuinely remorseful, and had already lost her place in EdU’s doctor of education programme
Why It Matters
The case underlines the legal and academic consequences of falsifying admissions documents in Hong Kong, where a conviction can also damage future employment prospects in education. The magistrate said the deception may have deprived another applicant of a doctoral place, pointing to wider concerns about fairness in competitive university admissions