The anti-graft campaign moves into academia
When asked "did you ever have sex with prostitutes," Pan Suiming always said that even ifhe told you, you wouldn't believe him.
After decades of research into the sex industry, Professor Pan got in trouble for the firsttime, but not for soliciting prostitutes - for embezzlement.
Pan, 64, founder and director of the Institute of Sexuality and Gender at the RenminUniversity of China, conducted in-depth investigations into China's sex industry. Pan'sresearch was based on meeting with prostitutes and pretending to be a customer to gainaccess to their world. From 1998 to 2010, Pan and his team conducted qualitative researchinto 23 "red light districts" in China, interviewing 1,132 prostitutes, 239 madams or pimpsand 212 "johns," reported the Xinhua News Agency.
A recent announcement from the Ministry of Science and Technology (MST) said that Panhad also been researching the prevention of major infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDSand viral hepatitis.
The statement from the MST did not reveal any further details of Pan's wrongdoings, whilemedia reports claimed that his punishment, a demotion, was due to "unclear use ofscientific research funds."
As the nationwide anti-corruption campaign sweeps from government bodies to academia,Pan has not been the only one punished for academic embezzlement.
Another six professors from four renowned universities have also faced punishment,including Song Maoqiang, a professor at the Beijing University of Posts andTelecommunications, and Chen Yingxu, a professor at Zhejiang University, who weresentenced to 10 and a half years and 10 years imprisonment respectively, according to theMST statement.
The management and use of research funds has become key area of investigation intoacademic corruption. Analysts have claimed that China's research fund managementsystem is too loose and lacks effective regulation. However, Pan's case seems to bring theseclaims into doubt.
Reaching out to money
During the MST's investigation into academic misconduct, it was found that someacademics were spending research funds on irrelevant expenditures and that many wereforging signatures and using phony invoices to withdraw funds, according to theannouncement.
Producing phony invoices and transferring research funds to his own company allowed LiNing, a professor at the China Agricultural University and academic at the ChineseAcademy of Engineering, to embezzle 20 million yuan ($3 million).
The Supreme People's Procuratorate confirmed that Li was approved to be detained undersuspicion of corruption in June.
Other methods that are often used by academics to embezzle research funds include takingcommissions, signing fake contracts and taking advantage of administrative staff's loosemanagement of academic projects.
"Professors usually have to figure out how to spend the money available to them and sosome buy fake invoices. Some teachers would get hold of extra money by increasing theamount reported in invoices or buying equipment for the universities and taking kickbacksfrom salesmen," a graduate student majoring in machine manufacturing and automationtold the Global Times on condition of anonymity.
Invoices dispute
It was invoices that ended up causing Pan's downfall, as some of his research money wasused to pay the prostitutes he interviewed for his studies. The lack of authentic invoices ledto him being charged with "misuse of funds," an anonymous source close to Pan's case toldthe Global Times.
According to regulations about academics applying for research funds, professors whoconduct social investigations should employ a professional research company and sign acontract with the company. This could have been a barrier for Pan who conducted researchby himself, according to the news portal news.qq.com.
"Pan could not get invoices from the prostitutes he interviewed. If he instead submittedinvoices for food and beverages, he would have broken the regulations," a faculty membersurnamed Chu from Beihang University told the Global Times.
Chu claimed that the management of research funds should be more flexible. "We usuallyneed to go through very complicated procedures even if we are only trying to rent aconference room."
"In our institute, every bit of expenditure requires a signature and a copy for futurereview. The management of research funds has become much more rigorous," said anengineer surnamed Zhang from the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Liu Junhai, a law professor at the Renmin University of China added that the"management of research funds should be focused on examining the results of scientificresearch instead of strictly restricting expenditure."
However, Chen Mei, an associate professor from Chongqing University said that scholarsshould strictly comply with regulations on using research funds. "Once they obtain aresearch topic and sign the contract, they should obey the rules."
System loopholes
Other loopholes in the regulations regarding research funds have been spotted. Ananonymous staff member working in the finance department of a university in Beijing toldthe Global Times that it is hard for universities to supervise and administer expenditure inresearch projects such as fees for outsourcing or employing staff.
"For example, some scholars transfer money to companies outside the school and thentransfer that money to their own companies, like Li did," said the staff member.
Some teachers use the ID numbers of people uninvolved in the project to defraud theuniversity by paying them wages despite them not actually working on any researchproject, the staff member added.
"After what happened to Pan, many professors criticized the strict and rigid managementof research funds. However, when corruption and embezzlement cases abound, people callfor stricter regulations to curb academic corruption, that seems to be a paradox," XiongBingqi, vice dean of the 21st Century Education Research Institute, told the Global Times.
The way to solve the problem lis to take research fund management out of the hands ofbureaucrats. The current salary system for professors means that their bonuses andallowances are obtained by applying for research subjects, according to Xiong.
"Money set aside for research should be separated from professors' salaries in case sometry to earn more money by applying for as many research projects as they can instead offocusing on their scientific research," Xiong said. He added that the financial managementof research institutes and universities should be transparent and the financial details ofacademic bodies that are not related to national security should be open to the public.
