Over 30 Chinese master's degree students forged academic qualifications to gain admission to the University of Hong Kong’s (HKU) Business School and as many as  100 students may have been involved in the fraud, the school’s head revealed in a media report published on Thursday.

Most of the fake documents are related to foreign universities. All of the academic qualifications of students who graduated from Hong Kong and Chinese mainland universities were identified as authentic, Cai Hongbin, dean of the HKU school told Caixin.

Earlier, some research students were alleged to have submitted fake admission documents. The university conducted a probe in May, requiring all current master's students to resubmit their undergraduate credentials, transcripts, and other materials.

According to Cai, the school has been alerted to the activities of online agencies that claim they can guarantee admission to the highly selective program for a fee of up to 500,000 yuan ($68,800)

According to Cai, the school has been alerted to the activities of online agencies that claim they can guarantee admission to the highly selective program for a fee of up to 500,000 yuan ($68,800).

These intermediaries have employed a range of tactics, including forging transcripts, certificates, envelopes, and seals from institutions such as New York University to make the documents appear genuine.

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Cai noted the investigation has revealed that some students and parents are knowingly complicit in this fraud, while others may be unaware that their qualifications have been falsified. The “black intermediaries” assisting the students work under cover and use various devious methods to help students forge academic qualifications for admission to HKU.

Recognizing the gravity of the situation, HKU decided to pursue a comprehensive investigation, despite the possibility of exposing more students.

The university is determined to send a strong message and hold all parties involved accountable, rather than quietly dismissing individual cases.

Cai emphasized that the goal is to crack down on illegal intermediaries, hold them legally accountable, and deter potential clients from using such services, even if it means the students face consequences.

In response to this troubling trend, HKU is strengthening its admission procedures, including requiring certifications from third-party platforms and conducting interviews for some applicants.

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The Hong Kong SAR government has also pledged to work with the city's public universities to review admissions practices and establish clear guidelines to maintain the integrity of the system.

HKU Business School topped the UTD Research Rankings in Asia in 2022, and ranked 18th in the world. It attracts over 20,000 postgraduate program applicants annually.