(China, 26th) The Chinese Academy of Engineering has announced the revocation of Zhang Yaoxue, the disgraced former president of Central South University, of his academician title.
The Chinese Academy of Engineering made this announcement on its official website last Friday (May 22). Prior to this, the website of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission reported last Thursday (21st) that Zhang Yaoxue had been expelled from the Communist Party and dismissed from his public office for serious violations of discipline and law.
The report stated that Zhang Yaoxue sought benefits for others and accepted money and valuables during cadre selection and appointment, conferring academic titles, and granting honorary awards, thus fostering malpractice and corruption in the academic field. He was also accused of transforming public power into a tool for personal gain, amassing wealth recklessly, and using his position to secure advantages for others in business operations and promotions, as well as illegally accepting vast amounts of money and valuables.
Publicly available information shows that Zhang Yaoxue, now 70 years old, previously served as Director of the Department of Science and Technology and the Department of Higher Education of the Ministry of Education, Director of the Office of the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council, and Director of the Department of Degree Management and Postgraduate Education of the Ministry of Education.
Zhang Yaoxue served as President of Central South University from 2011 to 2017. In October last year, Chinese authorities announced that Zhang Yaoxue was under disciplinary review and supervisory investigation by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission.
After this, Zhang Yaoxue’s name was removed from the “Former Presidents” section on Central South University’s official website. Public opinion questioned whether it was appropriate to completely remove his name, arguing that despite his downfall, he was still a former president.