Medical expert cleared of academic misconduct

Fudan University in Shanghai has cleared renowned doctor Zhang Wenhong of academic misconduct allegations.

On Monday, Fudan University Graduate School released the result of its investigation into the doctoral dissertation by Zhang, who is director of the infectious diseases department at Shanghai Huashan Hospital affiliated with Fudan University.

An investigation was launched after a netizen claimed on Aug 14 that part of Zhang's doctoral dissertation was identical to a thesis by a professor at Qilu Institute of Technology in Jinan, Shandong province.

The university said that its academic standards committee had carried out the investigation in accordance with the Fudan University Academic Standards Implementation Regulations.

The committee found, according to the Detailed Rules for Training Scientific Research PhD Students, which was revised in January 1999, that Zhang's doctoral dissertation had met the requirements for doctoral dissertations at that time.

"The summary for the appendix has nonstandard writing, which does not affect the scientific research achievements and academic level of the doctoral dissertation, and does not constitute academic misconduct," it said in a statement posted on the university's website.