XI'AN, July 15 (Xinhua) -- Northwest University in China's Shaanxi Province announced on Wednesday the termination of the contract with its faculty member Jia Qianqian, after a full investigation found misconduct and plagiarism in her academic works.
The university launched the probe after online allegations surfaced regarding academic irregularities in Jia's work.
Based on the investigation's findings, the university has decided to revoke Jia's associate professorship and teaching position qualifications, and approved her resignation, it said in a public notice.
Investigators confirmed that Jia published 16 academic papers as the lead author, nine of which contained multiple duplicated paragraphs and sentences from other people's works without proper citation, with one case of duplicate publication, according to the notice.
They obtained professional third-party appraisals, invited scholars from outside the school to conduct peer reviews and heard Jia's personal statements, before their conclusions were reached.
The university said it plans to roll out comprehensive academic integrity training and tighten oversight over its teaching staff, aiming to uphold rigorous academic standards and maintain a sound educational environment on campus. ■
