Peking uni confirms Zhai misconduct

PEKING University has confirmed the academic misconduct by Zhai Tianlin, a Chinese celebrity who has been the subject of online comment over his claimed academic achievements.

Zhai had highlighted his master’s and doctoral degrees from Beijing Film Academy, and his admittance as a postdoctorate student by Guanghua School of Management, Peking University, on China’s microblogging site Weibo.

It led to a number of people searching online for his previous written pieces, fueling suspicions over his academic record.

In the statement, Peking University approved the management school’s decision to expel Zhai and suspended his supervisor’s rights to further enroll postdoctorate students.

The university has started an investigation of Zhai’s enrollment and found the supervisor, the interview panel and the school had not followed strict standards during the interview, nor had they carried out sufficient substantive document review.

A Ministry of Education spokesperson said no academic misconduct would be tolerated and stressed that there is no place for actions defying academic rules and undermining educational equity.

In an apology letter posted online, Zhai said he was deeply sorry to the schools, teachers and the public for being dishonest.

(Xinhua)