| Article 40 of the Academic Degrees Law of the People's Republic of China establishes the academic review system. The content of this provision is somewhat general in its normative framework, which necessitates the systematic construction of the academic review procedure. In terms of the participants in the academic review process, the degree applicant, the two-tier degree evaluation committees, and peer experts serve as the initiating party, the reviewing party, and the examining party, respectively. Regarding the substantive initiation requirements for academic review, it is essential to accurately interpret "expert evaluation", "defense", and "achievement assessment", while also incorporating the substantive input of the academic supervisors. The academic review should follow a three-tier procedural design: qualification review by the sub-committee for degree evaluation, substantive review by the review experts, and final formal review by the degree evaluation committee. The "final decision" in the review decision should be understood as the procedural conclusion of the academic review process. Only in this way, when an academic review decision results in the denial of a degree and the degree applicant initiates administrative reconsideration or litigation regarding the denial, can the relevant authorities conduct a "secondary judgment" on matters of academic evaluation. |
