Peking University Professor: China's Academic Misconduct at an Unprecedented Rate in World History
Professor Rao Yi, a tenured chair professor at Peking University, stated in a lecture that the actual proportion of academic misconduct in China is unprecedented in world history, with almost no penalties, and called for stricter oversight.
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- 📰 Published: June 4, 2026 at 11:05
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(Central News Agency reporter Zhang Qian, Hong Kong, 4th) According to reports, as netizen "Geng Tongxue"'s academic anti-fraud campaign reaches a climax in China, a Peking University scholar has also raised related issues, pointing out that the severity of academic misconduct in China is creating a world historical record.
Ming Pao reported today that Rao Yi, a tenured chair professor at Peking University, gave a lecture titled "Where is Chinese Science Going?" at the "Eastern Institute of Technology Lecture Hall" in May, and the video subsequently went viral.
The report stated that in the video, Rao Yi mentioned that China's record academic misconduct is not only due to the large scale of scientific research leading to a high absolute number of violations, but also because the "actual proportion" of misconduct is unprecedented in world history.
He said that looking back in history, Britain and France had only a small amount of academic misconduct a hundred years ago, all of which became historical scandals, while the United States did not experience large-scale fraud during its scientific rise.
Rao Yi warned that China rarely penalizes academic misconduct. If teachers lead students into fraud, those students, upon entering society after graduation, will cause deeper and more far-reaching harm to all walks of life in China, with consequences far exceeding the damage to science itself.
He called on Chinese universities and state agencies to adopt stricter supervision and punishment measures.
He also said that over the past 30 years, China has built a tiered system of interest returns centered on titles such as "Excellent Young Scientists Fund" recipients and academicians. These "hats" are deeply tied to the economic interests and power of individuals and institutions, turning scientific research into a path of career advancement driven by greed.
Rao Yi is one of the initiators of China's "Thousand Talents Plan" and has publicly advised reforming China's science and technology system, suggesting that the Ministry of Science and Technology should only manage policy, not funding. (Editor: Chen Kaiyu) 1150604
Ming Pao reported today that Rao Yi, a tenured chair professor at Peking University, gave a lecture titled "Where is Chinese Science Going?" at the "Eastern Institute of Technology Lecture Hall" in May, and the video subsequently went viral.
The report stated that in the video, Rao Yi mentioned that China's record academic misconduct is not only due to the large scale of scientific research leading to a high absolute number of violations, but also because the "actual proportion" of misconduct is unprecedented in world history.
He said that looking back in history, Britain and France had only a small amount of academic misconduct a hundred years ago, all of which became historical scandals, while the United States did not experience large-scale fraud during its scientific rise.
Rao Yi warned that China rarely penalizes academic misconduct. If teachers lead students into fraud, those students, upon entering society after graduation, will cause deeper and more far-reaching harm to all walks of life in China, with consequences far exceeding the damage to science itself.
He called on Chinese universities and state agencies to adopt stricter supervision and punishment measures.
He also said that over the past 30 years, China has built a tiered system of interest returns centered on titles such as "Excellent Young Scientists Fund" recipients and academicians. These "hats" are deeply tied to the economic interests and power of individuals and institutions, turning scientific research into a path of career advancement driven by greed.
Rao Yi is one of the initiators of China's "Thousand Talents Plan" and has publicly advised reforming China's science and technology system, suggesting that the Ministry of Science and Technology should only manage policy, not funding. (Editor: Chen Kaiyu) 1150604