Chongqing police chief Wang Lijun has been hailed for his iron-fisted approach to organised crime in the southwestern municipality, but the 52-year-old is now making headlines as an academic with a growing list of credentials.
Earlier this month, Wang was hired as an adjunct professor by a top mainland college, the Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications (BUPT), even though he has little experience of full-time college studies.
The honour from BUPT is the latest in a series of academic appointments that Wang has received in the past two years, including being named both an adjunct professor and part-time PhD supervisor for at least six top mainland universities, including Zhejiang University.
During an appointment ceremony on December 4, BUPT president Fang Binxing hailed Wang as a tough policeman but a gentle academic who would help develop the university's social sciences studies, according to a BUPT news release issued this week.
The statement added that Wang is a specialist in several fields of studies, including law and forensics, and he is credited with five published works. Additionally, he has had a leading role in 18 research projects and 156 patents, including five for inventions.
Wang shot to national fame after he was enlisted by flamboyant Chongqing party secretary Bo Xilai to lead a high-profile and controversial campaign against organised crime.