Leading global universities have moved to distance themselves from a Chinese study-abroad agency that was marketing ¡°guaranteed degree completion¡±.

Kaichen?Education, based in Qingdao, has promoted packages on WeChat offering ¡°100 per cent course management¡±, ¡°24/7 academic concierge support¡± and ¡°stress-free graduation¡±, while claiming affiliations with various universities and international organisations.

Adverts reviewed by ÌÇÐÄVlog show the company using the names and logos of the universities of Sheffield, Melbourne and Queensland as well as the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) and Lingnan University.

The promotions include offers to help with coursework, assignments and guide students through exams,?amid concerns that, by operating in the ¡°closed ecosystem¡± of Chinese-language social media, their actions are ¡°invisible¡± in the West.

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One post reads: ¡°No need to worry about complex assignments and exams anymore, a professional team escorts you, with no risk of failing courses.¡±

Kaichen claims to be able to offer direct entry to Sheffield but, when asked by THE, the university said it had no relationship with the firm.

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¡°We do not work with?Kaichen?Education and a list of our authorised agents is available on our website,¡± a spokesperson said.

The company also claims a relationship with the British Council ¨C something that was strongly denied by the body.

¡°This company is not affiliated with the British Council China in any way. Use of our branding is strictly managed, and external parties are not permitted to use it without prior authorisation,¡± said a spokesperson.

¡°The British Council certifies agents and counsellors for their knowledge and awareness of the UK as a study destination. It does not regulate, accredit or endorse agents and counsellors.

¡°We are contacting the agency directly to request the immediate removal of our logo, and we take any unauthorised use of our branding seriously.¡±

A Chinese parent and teacher who discovered the advertisements while researching options for their daughter told THE that they fear families are being misled.

¡°Parents need to be careful. If we¡¯re not paying attention, our children could end up with unqualified advisers,¡± they said.

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¡°Offering services to do students¡¯ coursework is just ruining their future and downgrading the value of overseas study.¡±

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They said the wider implications for higher education were troubling: ¡°As a parent, I find this incredibly alarming. These claims mislead students, exploit families and damage the credibility of international higher education.

¡°No reputable university would allow this kind of academic dishonesty. Yet their names are being used to market these unethical services.¡±

The parent added that the issue highlights a gap in oversight: ¡°These companies operate entirely in Chinese-language social media spaces largely invisible to Western university administrators. WeChat¡¯s closed ecosystem has created a massive blind spot.¡±

Other universities named in the promotions all denied any association with?Kaichen?Education.

The University of Queensland said: ¡°Kaichen?is not an agent for The University of Queensland. We have reported the related social media posts and the university has requested that any materials indicating an affiliation be taken down.

¡°Prospective students who require the assistance of an agent can find UQ-approved agents on our website.¡±

Lingnan University said it had ¡°clearly stated on its official admissions webpage that it has not authorised any agents or organisations to carry out recruitment or admission work for its programmes. The University urges the public not to be misled by suspicious information and suffer losses, and reserves all legal rights to pursue the matter.¡±

A spokesperson for the University of Melbourne said there was ¡°no relationship¡±. CUHK did not respond by the time of publication.

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Kaichen?Education did not respond to a request for comment.

tash.mosheim@timeshighereducation.com