Former Central South University president prosecuted on bribery counts

Former president of Central South University Zhang Yaoxue has been prosecuted on charges of taking bribes, the Supreme People's Procuratorate said on Tuesday.

Prosecutors allege that Zhang took advantage of positions he held at the Ministry of Education and Central South University to seek benefits for others and illegally accepted an especially large amount of money and valuables in return. Prosecutors said Zhang should be held criminally responsible for bribery.

The positions cited in the indictment include deputy director and director of the ministry's department of science and technology, director of its department of higher education, and department of degree management and postgraduate education, as well as president of the university.

The case was investigated by the National Commission of Supervision before being transferred to prosecutors for review and prosecution. The SPP approved Zhang's arrest on suspicion of bribery and designated the Anqing People's Procuratorate in Anhui province to handle the case.

The Anqing procuratorate recently filed an indictment against Zhang with the Anqing Intermediate People's Court, according to the SPP.

During the review and prosecution process, prosecutors informed Zhang of his procedural rights, questioned him, and heard opinions from his defense counsel, the SPP said.

Zhang, 70, a native of Hunan province, began working in 1976 and joined the Communist Party of China in 1987. He taught at Tsinghua University before joining the Ministry of Education in 1999, where he held several senior positions.

He was elected a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering in 2007. From June 2009 to October 2011, he served as the director of the Office of the State Council Academic Degrees Committee and the director of the Ministry of Education's department of degree management and postgraduate education. He later became president of Central South University.

Zhang was placed under investigation in October 2025 and was expelled from the CPC and dismissed from public office in May 2026. Anti-graft authorities said at the time that Zhang had sought benefits for others in personnel appointments, the granting of academic titles and honors, and accepted money and valuables in return, which authorities said contributed to misconduct and corruption in academia.

Following the disciplinary decision, the Chinese Academy of Engineering revoked Zhang's membership in May.