Hunan university Party Secretary fired over hiring of foreign PhD students

The Party Secretary of Shaoyang University in Hunan Province was removed from his post for improper practices in hiring doctoral students from a below-grade university in the Philipines.

Peng Xilin, Party chief of the university, has been removed from his post after a public announcement about the university's decision to spend 18 million yuan (US$2.67 million) to hire these students that was released on the university's official website sparked public controversy.

The announcement showed that the university planned to hire 23 PhD students from Adamson University in the Philippines.

The introduction fee for each doctoral student was 350,000 yuan, with the research start-up fee 150,000 yuan, and the rental allowance 144,000 yuan. The introduction fee would be increased by 200,000 yuan if the candidate's spouse's job was not included, making for a total of 844,000 yuan.

According to the announcement, it would have cost the university a whopping 18 million yuan to hire the 23 doctors.

Following the uproar, the local government launched an investigation and found that Shaoyang University had improper practices in the introduction of doctoral students and other issues.