I’m a celebrity, get me in there: Chinese table tennis champ scores academic job at top university
Olympic gold medallist Deng Yaping’s appointment epitomises the growing campus pursuit of well-known names, observer says.
The appointment of former Olympic table tennis champion Deng Yaping as an adjunct professor at a prestigious university has stirred up controversy, underscoring growing public concern over the frequent and often hasty recruitment of celebrities into higher education.
During her 11 years on the national team, Deng won four gold medals – the first Chinese athlete to do so – and took home 18 world titles.
Last week, the 42-year-old was hired by the China University of Political Science and Law, the top in its field, as an adjunct professor.
The announcement, posted on the university’s website last Wednesday, set off a debate online, with some commentators saying the hiring process was not transparent enough and questioning whether she was academically qualified for the role.
Fang Liufang, a professor at the school, said on Weibo that “universities should outsource physical training programmes to coaches, instead of turning coaches into professors”.
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The university said on Monday she would work without pay in the department of physical education for three years to help build the varsity table tennis programme, Xinhua reported.