国内英语新闻:China's fight against academic fraud - still a long way to go

BEIJING, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- China's recent revocation of a national scientific award due to academic fraud has been welcomed by the public, but experts warn the country still has a long way to go to bring an end to such dubious academic practices.

On Feb. 1, China's Ministry of Science and Technology, revoked the State Scientific and Technological Progress Award (SSTPA) given to Li Liansheng, former professor of Xi'an Jiaotong University in 2005.

An investigation found Li had plagiarized others' works and fabricated data in his winning project, a research on key technologies for designing and manufacturing scroll compressors. Li was investigated after the science ministry received tip-offs from six professors (including four retired) in his university.

The ministry subsequently canceled his prize and retrieved the money awarded.

Zhao Baojing, a senior official with the National Office for S&T Award, told Xinhua it was the first time China had withdrawn a national scientific honor.

The revocation soon sparked pubic discussion over academic integrity. Tan Gang, a citizen in Shenzhen, wrote on his microblog, "Though the revocation came a bit late, it is progress. It's a warning against academic misconduct."

Shi Ying, vice director of Shanxi Academy of Social Sciences, said, the move demonstrated China's "zero-tolerance" for academic fraud, and would help clean up the academic field.

"However, academic fraud is still rampant, which not only damages academic integrity, but also harms the innovative capacity of China in a broader sense," said Shi.

Anti-fraud activist Fang Zhouzi, who runs a website on anti-academic fraud from his Beijing home, said "This is by far the harshest stance China has ever taken against academic fraud, which should be viewed as progress." He so noted China still has a long way to go in the fight against academic fraud.

Fang said, the science ministry's move does not mean China is really cracking down on academic fraud. The plagiarist might have not been found out if it were not for years of unyielding efforts made by the six professors.

The scandal again highlights that academic fraud is alive and well in China. A survey conducted among 30,078 respondents in 2009 by the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) showed that nearly half of the science-related workers in China's research institutes, universities, medical institutes and hospitals think academic cheating is "common."

Fang attributed the prevalence of academic fraud in China to lax punishments and loopholes in the academic evaluation system.

Zero tolerance of academic fraud

China's science minister, Wan Gang, said on several occasions "We hold zero tolerance for academic fraud."

However, Fang said "zero tolerance" was a slogan rather than the actual case. Many cases of academic fraud, even publicly exposed, were "tolerated" eventually. "Lax punishment makes academic fraud less costly."