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SCMP Reporter

Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences will not be allowed to profit in the name of science, president Lu Yongxiang said yesterday.

Speaking at a science and humanities forum in Beijing, Professor Lu said the academy was opposed to keyan laoban, a term which can be translated as researchers who see themselves as company bosses rather than scientists, according to Xinhua.

Keyan laoban refers to researchers who see research and development more as a road to profit than scientific progress. They are no longer tasked with conducting  research, but lobbying different ministries to apply for projects and funding through  connections.

After securing projects, they 'sub-contract' them to their students and capitalise  on the results of research and development by attaching their names to it, which in turn helps them get more projects and funding.

'On the issue of keyan laoban, the academy has been taking a stand by opposing, disagreeing and not promoting,' said Professor Lu, also a vice-chairman of the National People's Congress.

While acknowledging the existence of keyan laoban, Professor Lu said the academy  provided 'no legal ground' for their existence.

Urging  academia to develop high moral standards, Professor Lu said it should not support these 'minorities'  who made use of their reputations and titles to secure scientific resources while sub-contracting them to others.   Professor Lu said some tutors had 'used'  students as research employees instead of trying to help develop their  potential. More transparent management and supervision  would help solve the problem.

Last month, Science and Technology Minister Xu Guanhua   vowed to name and shame guilty researchers amid a growing number of cases of academics and scientists falsifying research papers, plagiarising work and engaging in other forms of dishonest academic activity.

Last August, Zhou Guangzhao ,  chairman of the China Association for Science and Technology, lambasted scientific researchers who sought to secure government jobs and titles to enjoy better treatment, according to Xinhua.

'[If one] wants to do R&D then don't become an official. [If one] wants to be an official then don't get involved in R&D. [You] have to do a good job to serve scientific researchers after [you] become an official. If one wants to be both an official and a scientific researcher, [he] will not do be good at anything,' he said.

Professor Zhou, a former president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, told a 2004 work meeting at the academy that scientists should put the country's interests ahead of profits,  titles and other rewards.



Money not your goal, scientists informed