Oh, boy, do the Chinese love Harvard!

It is no secret that the Chinese have a crush on Harvard. Naturally, high intelligence is drawn to elite universities like physical strength to top sports. Ivory towers now have come to salute outstanding Chinese applicants on a scale unprecedented in history. Harvard has de facto become a Chinese outpost.

It is not alone. Whether it is the University of California, Berkeley and Yale University in the United States, or Cambridge University in the United Kingdom, the top schools are brim full with Chinese prodigies or else engage in China-related research and cultural diplomacy. Good for China's elites, but there is a dark side to it, too - brain drain.

Real estate tycoon Pan Shiyi and his wife Zhang Xin [File photo]

The latest piece of evidence comes from a $15-million donation to Harvard by billionaire couple Pan Shiyi and Zhang Xin to establish a "Soho China Scholarship". This wasn't at all that newsworthy because Chinese donations like this to Harvard are somewhat common, but this one in particular sparked outrage (or was it a well-orchestrated publicity campaign? ) on Chinese social media.

As businesspeople, Pan and Zhang surely expect some form of return on their "investment", apart from the Soho name and patronage, probably by getting one of their own into Harvard (a family member, a relative, a friend, many friends? ). Most Chinese commentators would have little problem with that, as caring for one's family and friends is traditional in Chinese society. In fact, most critics would do the same if only they had the financial means. Their main concern, however, is this: Why not invest in China's education?