A Chinese university’s job posting requiring a PhD for a canteen manager has gone viral. Southeast University is offering a ₹20.8 lakh annual salary for the role, which includes administrative and food safety duties. The listing has ignited debate on credential inflation and the value of academic qualifications in China’s tightening job market.
A university in Nanjing, China, has stirred controversy after posting a canteen manager job that requires a PhD—a qualification many felt was excessive for the role.
The listing, put up by Southeast University, a top institution in China, appeared on its official website and quickly went viral. According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), among the requirements for the position is overseeing canteen activities, guaranteeing food safety, controlling contractors, doing administrative tasks, and monitoring food-making procedures.
But it was not the job description that left people surprised—it was the qualifications.
Apart from a doctoral degree, candidates need to be well-versed in English, familiar with office software, and ideally possess a degree in food, nutrition, or culinary arts. The advertisement also stated that membership in the Communist Party would be an added benefit.
The job pays a salary of 180,000 yuan (approximately ₹20.8 lakh) every year. But the social media in China was filled with outrage and criticism asking why one would require such a sophisticated academic degree for a job that appears to be mostly managerial.
Source: https://www.freepressjournal.in/education/job-post-requiring-phd-for-canteen-manager-at-chinese-university-goes-viral-offers-208-lakh-salary
