Credit: CFP

BEIJING, January 18 (TMTPOST)— 11 students from Huazhong Agricultural University have accused a professor surnamed Huang of academic misconduct, claiming that they risked their doctoral degrees to expose his fraud and manipulation. 

In a 125-page complaint filed by them that went viral on social media, the students alleged that their professor from the Department of Animal Nutrition, falsified experimental data, manipulated peer reviews, belittled his students, and underpaid the students’ compensation.

On Tuesday evening, the College of Animal Sciences & Technology / College of Veterinary Medicine of the university issued a statement, acknowledging the receipt of the complaint.

They have formed a special team to initiate an investigation, emphasizing a zero-tolerance policy for academic misconduct and promising appropriate action based on the investigation findings. As of Wednesday, the university confirmed an ongoing investigation and pledged to disclose the results as soon as possible.

One of the students involved told China Newsweek, a Chinese current affairs magazine, that over half of the postgraduates in the professor's research group participated in this joint real-name reporting.

The students are urging relevant authorities to thoroughly investigate the allegations against the professor and his team for academic fraud and misconduct. Meanwhile, they are seeking reasonable compensation and resolutions from the university to address the impact on their personal life.

The students mentioned in their complaint that the professor coerced them into manipulating data and fabricating experimental results. They argue that these actions seriously compromise the fairness and credibility of scientific research.

In a detailed document circulating online, the students outlined various instances of severe academic misconduct in three doctoral and 13 master's theses supervised by the professor. The allegations include manipulating and fabricating experimental data, splicing and modifying experimental figures and data, altering experimental results, and plagiarism.

Several papers listed in the complaint were reportedly presented as achievements of projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China in Huang's final project report.

Beyond academic misconduct, the students also accused Huang of manipulating peer reviews, using improper authorship attribution in papers, cutting students’ pay, and disparaging students. Screenshots of conversations provided by the students reveal instances where Huang allegedly asked a student to draft a fake expert review, saying that “This is an opportunity”.

The students concluded their complaint by expressing concern that backed by false data and so-called “achievements,” Huang and associated individuals not only escaped punishment but also received substantial research funding and project support.

Public records show that Huang held a position as a professor and doctoral supervisor at the Department of Animal Nutrition, Huazhong Agricultural University. He has led various national research projects and received grants from national and international funding institutions.

Following the incident, Huang's information is no longer available on the official website of Huazhong Agricultural University.