University fires professor accused of falsifying research, suppressing students

A professor at Huazhong Agricultural University has been fired and stripped of his teaching qualifications after an investigation confirmed allegations of academic misconduct, including falsified research and student suppression.

In an official notice posted on the university's Weibo account on Tuesday, it was revealed that the professor surnamed Huang has been removed from all university positions, and his employment contract has been terminated. Additionally, the university will seek to revoke Huang's teaching qualifications, retract research papers linked to academic misconduct, and discontinue the use of a textbook edited by Huang.

The university also issued warnings and criticism to relevant personnel within the College of Animal Sciences and Technology/College of Veterinary Medicine and pledged to investigate and handle other individuals involved in the reported academic misconduct according to university regulations and disciplinary procedures.

The investigation was prompted by a 125-page joint statement from 11 postgraduate students on Jan 16, outlining allegations of academic misconduct, student suppression, and withholding of labor fees by professor Huang. The university responded promptly, forming a task force to investigate the claims and emphasizing a zero-tolerance policy toward academic misconduct.

A subsequent investigation revealed serious academic misconduct by Huang, including the publication of 10 papers with falsified and manipulated experimental data and images. Huang also neglected his duties in guiding students, used inappropriate language during teaching, and demonstrated discrepancies in the disbursement of research allowances.

As a result of the investigation, all 15 graduate students under Huang's supervision have been reassigned to new mentors following a mutual selection process organized by the university. Discrepancies in research allowances for some students have also been rectified.

The university expressed deep regret over the severe academic misconduct and negative societal impact caused by Huang's actions. In a notice, the university pledged to learn from the incident and uphold a healthy academic environment, ensuring the provision of quality education.