Do you need a degree to be a waiter?

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A hotpot restaurant in Zhengzhou City, east China's Henan Province, has ignited a heated debate on Chinese social media for listing a degree from a prestigious Chinese university as part of the job requirements for a waiter.

Local media recently reported a restaurant's job listing for waiters specifically asked for a degree from universities of Project 985, an elite league of 39 of China's best universities, including Tsinghua University and Peking University.

The ad also stated that the annual salary for the position was over 200,000 yuan (29,100 U.S. dollars), which is nearly three times the average annual income in the city in 2017.

The job ad sparked discussion on the Internet. /Screenshot via Weibo

The ad sparked discussion on the Internet, with many doubting whether job matched a top university degree.

"This is an insult to 985 graduates," one netizen said. Some supported the point, regarding it as a disgrace for the effort and talent needed to get such a degree.

"Does working in a hotpot restaurant make one inferior?" asked other netizens. Some also thought the job listing was a marketing tactic.

The restaurant responded on Wednesday, pointing out that all professions deserved equal respect. The recruitment manager explained that the design of the restaurant, named "985 Hotpot College," was based on the concept of universities.

He also said that they wanted to recruit talent with good education for long-term growth in the company and to keep up with the changing industry.

According to China's Ministry of Education, Project 985, announced at the 100th anniversary of Peking University in 1998, aimed to develop a group of internationally recognized universities in the country. It has been widely seen as a symbol of high-quality university education in China.