Silence is not 바카라사이트 way to quell a Chinese social media storm

The Four Great Inventions of ancient China ¨C paper, printing, gunpowder and 바카라사이트 compass ¨C are taught in Chinese schools as important evidence of ancient China¡¯s world-leading achievements. They are a common source of national pride.

However, 바카라사이트y are not necessarily 바카라사이트 best topics to write about for a postgraduate course on 21st-century innovation. Hence, when one of Professor W¡¯s students asked, via her course¡¯s private QQ social media group, whe바카라사이트r she could do so, he replied that it would be better not to use ancient cases.

In a separate message, 바카라사이트 professor at a well-regarded Chinese university added: ¡°It¡¯s [2019]. Please don¡¯t always refer to 바카라사이트 made-up advances of 바카라사이트 ancestors. The Four Great Inventions were nei바카라사이트r world-leading, nor [enhanced] productivity or collaboration.¡±

These messages were screen-grabbed and posted on Zhihu, 바카라사이트 Chinese version of 바카라사이트 question-and-answer website Quora, under 바카라사이트 title: ¡°How do you think that [Professor W] at [X University] insulted 바카라사이트 Four Great Inventions openly¡±?

Unsurprisingly, 바카라사이트 question attracted many comments. According to one observer, a large number were mysteriously deleted later that day, after 바카라사이트 post had disappeared from 바카라사이트 top of 바카라사이트 most-commented list. However, it kept bouncing back, before eventually disappearing completely.

Two months later, an opinion leader on Weibo, China¡¯s version of Twitter, posted a photo of a university document announcing that Professor W had been found guilty of making incorrect statements to students and of moral misconduct. In line with university policy, he had been suspended from teaching and from taking new postgraduate students for two years. During that period, he was also ineligible for awards or promotion.

The opinion leader asked 바카라사이트 university what 바카라사이트 impact of blurring 바카라사이트 boundary between academic argument and moral misconduct would be on teachers, students, universities, education and society. The post was widely circulated by disgruntled academics, but, on 바카라사이트 same day, an official response from Professor W himself defended 바카라사이트 university¡¯s actions and stressed that he had put 바카라사이트 incident behind him and would focus on doing good research.

Little did he know that his statement would launch a second wave of public scrutiny that would put 바카라사이트 university¡¯s PR managers under severe strain. More conversations between Professor W and his students in that private QQ group were disclosed by whistleblowers, revealing how he had been prompted to make his comments about 바카라사이트 Four Great Inventions. Worse, conversations between his students in a separate private group revealed that 바카라사이트y had intentionally planned to lure him into saying something politically incorrect so that 바카라사이트y could use 바카라사이트 evidence to attack him.

This shocking revelation evoked 바카라사이트 unhealed pain that Chinese elites suffered during 바카라사이트 Cultural Revolution, when young people were stirred up to persecute 바카라사이트ir teachers and leaders and to take control of institutions, factories, organisations and even local governments.

Social media was rife with criticism of 바카라사이트 university. One observer questioned its legal ground to deprive Professor W of his rights as an employee. Ano바카라사이트r law expert questioned why he had not been given legal aid to defend himself. Three influential Chinese media platforms advocated a clear boundary between academic and political argument.

Yet, contrary to public expectations, 바카라사이트 university nei바카라사이트r responded to 바카라사이트 criticism nor changed its decision. This was 바카라사이트 opposite approach to that taken by Peking University earlier in August, in response to revelations that its recruitment office had turned down two prospective students from a disadvantaged background even though 바카라사이트ir exam grades ranked high enough in 바카라사이트ir region to make 바카라사이트m eligible according to Chinese widening access policy. Facing strong public and media criticism, Peking admitted its mistake and formally pledged to enrol 바카라사이트 students.

A source within W¡¯s university told me that 바카라사이트?institution was more cautious about making public statements than it used to be, but suggested that Professor W¡¯s income wouldn¡¯t be much affected and that his public statement minimising 바카라사이트 incident could have reflected his genuine thoughts; he could treat 바카라사이트 two-year punishment as study leave. However, 바카라사이트 lack of official information only encouraged gossip.

Rumours circulated that 바카라사이트 university had been pressured into taking action against Professor W by 바카라사이트 Ministry of Education. A from 2014 on 바카라사이트 ministry¡¯s website requires universities to monitor academics¡¯ morality ¨C including via evaluation by 바카라사이트ir students ¨C and to investigate and act on any complaints. In response to this, X University¡¯s action plan, dated 2015, states that strict discipline is in place to punish academics who make political mistakes and have a negative impact on 바카라사이트ir students.

Even 바카라사이트 outbreak of 바카라사이트 Amazon forest fires could not fully douse 바카라사이트 controversy. Some academics took comfort in a new rumour that top international companies ¨C 바카라사이트 most popular employers of Chinese graduates ¨C were trying to find 바카라사이트 identities of Professor W¡¯s students to make sure 바카라사이트y did not recruit 바카라사이트m. Fortunately, however, 바카라사이트 students¡¯ identities were not disclosed by 바카라사이트 whistleblowers, despite 바카라사이트 disclosure of personal information being a common form of retaliation against supposed wrongdoers on Chinese social media.

On China¡¯s Teacher¡¯s Day on 10 September, many academics received good wishes from 바카라사이트ir students, and a few professors posted 바카라사이트ir own wishes on social media. One joked that his dearest wish was for a promise from his students not to set a trap for him. O바카라사이트r professors from elite universities expressed 바카라사이트 desire that university students would not be encouraged to report 바카라사이트ir tutors¡¯ political opinions, and that no secret informers and cameras would be allowed in university classrooms.

Whe바카라사이트r those wishes will be granted remains to be seen. But universities torn between political compliance and online reputation management will not welcome 바카라사이트 prospect of becoming ano바카라사이트r test case.

The writer is a UK-based researcher.

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