Criticism exposes bigotry

Criticism of academic works and research should be based on sound knowledge and understanding of a subject. It's unfair to make fun of a doctoral candidate just because the title of her dissertation sounds like a culinary dish, says an article in Beijing News. Excerpts:

A student recently submitted her thesis in zoology at Shaanxi Normal University for her doctoral degree which began by discussing the relation between star anise and spicy chicken. The mention of the spice and chicken has prompted some people to question the relevance of her thesis, with a few even using sarcastic language to make fun of the student.

That the so-called critics reached a conclusion without reading the entire dissertation - they have just seen the picture on the cover of the thesis posted online - exposes their ignorance. Their criticism and sharp comments are an apt example of prejudice that all doctoral theses must be of great importance for the development of science and technology, and written in a language that is difficult for the common people to understand.