Kein Doktortitel wegen eines Tweets: So weit reicht Chinas Einfluss auf Schweizer Hochschulen Ein Schweizer Doktorand twittert kritisch über China. Danach will seine Professorin an der Universität St. Gallen nichts mehr mit ihm zu tun haben – sie fürchtet, kein Visum mehr zu bekommen.

33 comments

  5. I suspect that the perspective as the HSG has is strictly speaking true. He probably did unenroll to go to China. Still I feel that the promise that it should be easy to re-enroll should count for something. Plus having a single email count as pressure from abroad seems contrary to academic integrity. But yeah, as she was voluntarily working with him due to him officially being unenrolled she could very easily sever that relationship. That really did give the HSG an easy out 🙁

  6. If it shows you one thing: If you’re on the internet, use a pseudonym. Not worth using your real name.

  7. The CCP is mastering the art of influence through petty actions, it’s growing every day, disgusting, and appalling to watch. Soon we will be requested to have the portrait of Mao in our classrooms to allow the export of watches and army knives, that get counterfeit by millions in Shenzhen anyway.

    All of this goes unpunished mostly because our dear leaders still didn’t get the message, or are too afraid of taking action for the greater good. At some point everyone has to realize you can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs, and such actions require equally firm treatment in return. Find one Chinese student spreading CCP propaganda, fire all Chinese teachers of the school with revocation of their Schengen visa for life (yes, Switzerland can do that).

    We urgently need to stop giving an undue power to the CCP, especially because it’s mostly earned by the right of buying cheap crap. As a consumer, that also and before all means before all to accept today the cost overhead of sustainability wherever possible, and for the rest to buy a Korean smartphone, a Japanese laptop, and Swedish furniture. Every franc you spend on “Made in China” is empowering the CCP, aside of most probably hurting the planet.

  9. This is unbelievable and unacceptable. We are VERY naive regarding China. Hopefully, we will wake up soon…

  11. given his is on the frontpage of the nzz and seems to have gained minor traction here as well, it will be interesting to see the development.

  13. Totalitarian countries are hard to deal with. The advisor clearly needs to be able to travel to China so she has to adhere to government policies even if they are wrong in our society.

    The only way to play is not to rely on China…if that is even possible in today’s day and age.

  15. HSG oh je, oh je …

    The whole thing as described in the article is pretty much shocking and seems to go well together with the common clichés about the HSG.

    And I’m not only speaking about the self-censorship and the kneeling before some foreign sensivities. I’m also speaking about the outrageous way in which they communicated the whole thing.

    Simply telling your long-term doctorand “there is no relationship between us” as if the wasn’t your doctorand and never has been is absolute foul play. Everybody involved in this (the professor and probably the PR staff of the HSG) is completely out of place in their position.

  18. HSG has to be one of the most overhyped schools in Switzerland anyway. I’m not surprised they hire people like that prof that would not stand up for their students and rather kneel to the CCCP.

  19. Another reason why PhD students should be employed. This is ridiculous, could not happen as an employee (as is the case for most in STEM). Anyway, I am sure he could find another prof in CH who would be willing to advise him for finishing the PhD.

  24. Any academic person or institution worldwide (ex China for obvious reason) that only has a spark of integrity should avoid having anything to do with this woman that lacks the least amount of academic integrity or honour.

    She can go to the PRC. Sure she will be welcomed with open arms and a high social score, perhaps even a good position in the CCP.

    The student can certainly find another supervisor. Someone that possesses at least some integrity and academic pride.

  28. Der Typ schreibt an einer chinesischen Uni eine Abhandlung zu Umerziehungslagern und wundert sich über schlechte Noten? Alle die hier schreiben gibts doch nicht, Blabla. Der Typ scheint mir total bescheuert zu sein und kann sich glücklich schätzen, dass er noch frei rum läuft. Ich weiß ja nicht wo der die letzten 20 Jahre war, aber China ist kein „freier“ westlicher Staat.

  30. There are always two sides of a story, here the answer from the HSG:

    https://www.unisg.ch/de/wissen/newsroom/aktuell/rssnews/campus/2021/august/stellungnahme-3august2021

    Basically the PhD student has been kind of a drop out and wanted to get back into the HSG. He tried to achieve that forcefully by using “political and legal means” without meeting the requirements for the PhD programm itself. The doctorate supervisor has then been accused of racism and so the student has broken the trust between him and her. That is the reason why she does not want to continue working with him.

    I want to see the students answer to that honestly.

  32. Für den Kontext (Rassismus-Vorwurf):

    [Das](https://www.reddit.com/r/CoronavirusMemes/comments/fphr5c/china_has_zero_new_coronavirus_cases/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf) ist das gepostete Meme (Reddit-Link). Der PhD-Student hat es als Antwort auf einen [Interview-Ausschnitt](https://twitter.com/hkworldcity/status/1243865641448169474?s=21) des Hongkonger öffentlich-rechtlichen Senders RTHK mit dem WHO-China-Delegationsleiter Bruce Aylward geposted: eine Frage zur Rolle Taiwans, auf die Aylward ausweicht. «Über China haben wir bereits gesprochen», sagt Aylward am Ende des Interviews. Das gepostete Meme thematisiert Chinas Verhältnis zu Hongkong und Taiwan.

    Die gelöschten Tweets des PhD-Studenten enthalten keine rassistischen Inhalte, sind jedoch explizit regierungskritisch (Kommunikationsstrategien), hinterfragen jedoch auch die westliche Propaganda (z.B. im Kontext dieses vermeintlichen [Videos](https://twitter.com/kiss486/status/1223568287046365184?s=21) eines Krematoriums in Wuhan im März 2020). Er spricht sich gegen Twitter-Sperren für chinesische Regierungssprecher aus, teilt einen Artikel zur Inhaftierung einer Uigurin oder seine Einschätzung zur Frage, ob die Bezeichnung ‘Chinavirus’ rassistisch sei: «Moderne Empörungskultur» und ‘political correctness’ sei im Grunde eine Form der Ignoranz gegenüber wirklichem Rassismus, so seine Position.

    Auch wenn sich über diese Meinungen und v.a. auch über Stereotypen in humoristischen Memes (Othering-Effekt und ‘Logic of Lulz’; v.a. in stark westlich bzw. amerikanisch geprägten Foren wie z.B. Reddit) streiten lässt: Dass sich die Universität St. Gallen in ihrer [Stellungnahme vom 3.8.2021](https://www.unisg.ch/de/wissen/newsroom/aktuell/rssnews/campus/2021/august/stellungnahme-3august2021) u.a. auf einen ‘Rassismus-Vorwurf’ stützt, der seit mehr als einem Jahr überprüfbar ist (ein Meme), spricht für eine stark opportunistische Haltung und für ein mögliches Kriterium für zukünftige (Schweizer) PhD-Studierende in China: «das Recht aller Universitätsangehörigen, sich kritisch zur Politik Chinas zu äussern» besteht, gefährde bloss nicht die Karriere deiner Doktoratsbetreuerin.

  33. So long as the student’s work is good other universities should offer them a place to complete the PhD.

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