Chinese students at ethnic-minority college 'raise privacy fears' after request to give gene samples

Students applying to enrol at a university in Beijing have voiced concerns after saying were asked to sign a declaration allowing the college to take a gene sample during their medical check-up, according to a newspaper report.

Some students said it was a violation of their personal privacy, The Beijing News reported.

The request was made to students enrolling at the Minzu University of China, a college that specialises in educating minority groups such as Tibetans and Uygurs.

One student was quoted as saying: “I don’t agree with this approach. DNA is very personal. I very much doubt it could be legal without violating personal privacy if the university hands our gene samples to the authorities.”

A team of academics at the university has a grant to carry out genetic research as part of a national scientific research programme.

China’s National Hi-Tech Research Development Programme includes research in genetics and space technologies, the report said.