noun
academic clique; old school tie
Refers to a network of people from the same school or university who favor each other in professional or academic settings. Often carries a negative nuance of in-group favoritism.
あの会社は学閥が強いから、同じ大学の出身じゃないと出世しにくい。
That company has a strong academic clique, so it's hard to get promoted unless you're from the same university.
学閥にとらわれず、実力で人
We should evaluate people based on their abilities, not on academic cliques.