Chinese journal sorry over paper praising ‘sublime’ mentor and his ‘magnificent’ wife
- Publication retracts article from seven years ago and apologises for ‘not scrutinising it more strictly’ after it is rubbished online
- Mentor resigns as editor-in-chief, and an investigation is under way
A Chinese academic journal has withdrawn a paper from seven years ago and apologised after it was criticised for being filled with extravagant praise for the author’s mentor, and his mentor’s wife.
The mentor, Cheng Guodong, 76, also resigned from his position as editor-in-chief of the Journal of Glaciology and Geocryology, news website Thepaper.cn reported on Sunday.
The paper, published in the journal in October 2013, was written by Xu Zhongmin, a specialist in frozen ground and permafrost from the Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Xu is also a mentor to doctoral students at the institute.
His paper was posted on microblogging site Weibo on Sunday, prompting many social media users to question its academic value – especially since he received state funding for the research.
The 35-page paper on the ecological economy includes lengthy praise for Cheng’s morals and Xu also gushes about the beauty and elegance of Cheng’s wife.
Hours after it was posted and amid mounting criticism, the journal announced it had removed the article and apologised for “not scrutinising it more strictly”.