Deng Wei (Xinhua Daily Telegraph): Currently, the research, teaching and services of lotteries in China have not matured. So, setting up a lottery institute will fill a blank.

In fact, besides Beijing Normal University, as early as 2006, Peking University launched a lottery master's program. The lottery studies focus on how to break the regularity of the lottery, how to conduct risk control and how to avoid the excessive buying of lottery tickets. To put it in a more explicit way, the major in lottery studies aims to advance lottery research and cultivate personnel for lottery operation and management.

Some people doubt the necessity of setting up the subject because they lack knowledge of the industry. They may be also unsatisfied with how the lottery is operated and managed. Some problems in the current lottery system, in terms of the use of welfare lottery funds, the fairness of lotteries and the income of the lottery personnel add to misunderstanding and criticism of the lottery master's program. If these problems cannot be properly solved, the public will continue to feel repulsive about this term.

With millions of people and hundreds of billion yuan involved, it is necessary to improve the professional ability of research and management staff in the lottery sector.

Opponents

Xie Yong (Guangzhou Daily): The fundraising and the flow of capital in the lottery system are not transparent. This is one of the major causes of public concern. Beijing Normal University, no matter its educational idea or academic specialties, has nothing to do with lottery studies.

China's lottery industry started only 20 years ago and it needs to be standardized. If the lottery system is not reformed, the future lottery masters will find it difficult to bring their talent into full play. If teachers only repeat what the textbooks say, students may feel confused and frustrated when entering into practical work.

Zhi Feng (www.voc.com.cn): The nature of the lottery is gambling. Some time ago, public doubts were greatly aroused by the negative social effects of lottery ticket buying. We have enough reasons to believe it is the original desire for gambling that stimulates people to buy lottery tickets. In the gambling world, there is a possibility for people to make a fortune by investing a little but gaining a lot. Such speculative mentality would not change in buying lottery tickets despite its public welfare character.

Wang Yijun (China Youth Daily): What matters in cultivating lottery masters is who takes the role of educator? Generally, universities should stick to their respective characteristics in cultivating talents, rather than adjusting majors and educational objectives according to social demands. Otherwise, universities will evolve into social service stations or career training centers. It is the duty for vocational schools to provide employment-oriented education. That explains why vocational schools didn't stir up public opinion by introducing a lottery major a few years ago.

Therefore, universities should answer the following questions before providing courses for lottery masters: First, is the lottery master's program in line with its educational orientation? What kind of degrees will be conferred to the future masters—a professional degree or an academic degree? Universities should provide enough evidence to prove that the program and related curriculum will be given enough educational resources.

Second, what is the research direction of lottery masters? The director of the NLDI emphasized the institute's goal was to improve management abilities of future lottery operators and offer a set of training courses for executive staff in the lottery sector. Besides all of this, will the program focus more on how to ensure the fairness of lotteries and how to secure good use of public welfare funds?

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