Chinese man, 29, supposedly with 4 PhDs & 6 master's degrees, suspended from research job following public scrutiny

A 29-year-old Chinese man became embroiled in controversy after his employer, Inner Mongolia Academy of National Culture and Art (IMANCA), publicised his resume on its WeChat page on Oct. 8.

In the post, the man, Zhao Zijian, was introduced as a scholar who obtained "four PhD degrees" and "six master's degrees" from universities in and outside of China.

Additionally, his resume also stated that Zhao had "completed two postdoctoral fellowships", "holds three positions concurrently", and is "a part-timer at 22 social organisations".

Details of Zhao's bio

According to IMANCA, Zhao received one of his PhD degrees from the Catholic University of Korea, majoring in performing arts, and the other from the Lyceum of the Philippines University, a private institution, majoring in psychology.

While his bio does not state where he obtained his other two PhD degrees, it specified that they are in education and Bible studies, respectively.

His six master's degrees are issued by two Spanish universities, the University of Zaragoza (psychology of mindfulness) and the Miguel de Cervantes European University (dual degree in mental health/ psychiatric assessment and nursing), and two Hong Kong universities, the Hong Kong Baptist University (communication and Chinese literature, language, and culture) and the University of Hong Kong (Buddhist studies).

Zhao's bio also stated that he has "published 24 research papers in Chinese and foreign publications", such as Science Citation Index (SCI) journals, over the last five years.

3 jobs, involved in 22 organisations

As for working experience, Zhao's bio indicates that he currently holds three positions, one of which being a "director-professor at the Asian Institute for Humanities and Social Studies".

However, these three jobs did not appear to fill up Zhao's time, as IMANCA added that he also serves as "a part-timer in 22 social organisations", including the Translators Association of China and the Chinese Society of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

For his achievements above, the academy said Zhao was hired as a researcher at the academy.

Social media users question Zhao's credentials

After Zhao's extensive resume caught the attention of Chinese social media users, many began questioning how he could obtain 10 advanced degrees at such a young age.

The suspicion only grew after social media users found out that Zhao had only obtained his bachelor's degree seven years ago, but each of his doctoral degrees requires years to complete, reported Xinhua News.

For instance, the Catholic University of Korea requires doctoral students to enrol in six semesters, which would typically last three years.

Some even accused Zhao of forging his qualifications, highlighting that he could have easily secured a job in a more developed city in China if his achievements were true.

Zhao suspended from job, under investigation

On Oct. 10, IMANCA announced in a follow-up WeChat post that it had "suspended Zhao's employment at the academy" and "launched an investigation into his academic qualifications" following the public scrutiny.

The academy added that it decided to hire Zhao as "a part-time researcher" on Oct. 1 after the academy reviewed the relevant documents submitted by Zhao.

"We will further strengthen our review process and management of documents submitted by part-time researchers," said IMANCA.

Zhao's side of the story

When approached by Xinhua, Zhao said he had submitted "all the supporting documents" to IMANCA to prove the credibility of his qualifications.

According to Zhao, he was able to obtain his advanced degrees over a short period of time because "those universities have different course schedules".

"After I completed my undergraduate studies, I mainly stayed in Hong Kong for my master's programmes. For my doctoral programmes, I travelled between Seoul and Manila. I obtained the rest of my degrees online," shared Zhao.

When asked what was his motivation behind acquiring so many degrees, Zhao said he "values academic credentials" and "just wants to keep upskilling himself".

Elaborated on work experiences

As for his work experiences, Zhao told Xinhua that the Asian Institute for Humanities and Social Studies was "a non-profit research institute he founded with a few scholars in and outside of China".

He "was elected as the director", and the "professor" designation is "merely the name of his position at the institute" and does not mean he is a faculty member of a university.

Zhao also shared that he is "a member" of 22 social organisations, and he joined them because they "fall within his field of expertise" or "meet his family's healthcare needs".

He also joined some technology-related organisations to obtain "cutting-edge knowledge in the field".

IMANCA director confirms Zhao submitted supporting documents

Zhao's claims were corroborated by the director of IMANCA, surnamed Yin, who confirmed with Xinhua that the academy had received the degree scrolls Zhao submitted online.

Yin added that China's Ministry of Education was able to verify one of Zhao's doctoral degrees from the Catholic University of Korea and four of his master's degrees from the University of Zaragoza, Hong Kong Baptist University, and Hong Kong University as of Oct. 18.

Zhao's doctoral degree from the Lyceum of the Philippines University "is still being verified", and the ministry was "unable to verify his other two doctoral degrees and two master's degrees".

As for the 22 social organisations in which Zhao was involved, Yin said Zhao had "provided supporting documents that could prove his membership".

However, a spokesperson from a social science association in Inner Mongolia told Xinhua that being a member of those organisations is "fundamentally different" from serving as a part-timer there.

This is because "all one needs to do to become a member at some social organisations is to sign up and pay the registration fee".

May resume Zhao's employment after investigation: Yin

Yin told Xinhua that he was also shocked when he noticed the number of advanced degrees Zhao has when he recommended himself and applied for the position at the academy.

"However, after going through his degree scrolls and his 24 academic publications, we believed he met the job requirements and decided to hire him," shared Yin.

When asked whether the academy will resume its employment with Zhao after the investigation, Yin did not give a clear-cut answer, citing that "a systematic investigation into Zhao's academic achievements is ongoing".

However, Yin shared that the academy might consider resuming the relationship if the investigation showed that Zhao did not forge his credentials so as to "safeguard the career development of young researchers".

While the Xinhua report did not state whether Zhao would still work for IMANCA after the investigation is completed, Zhao said the series of events "prompted him to undergo some soul-searching":

"This incident made me deeply examine my years of studying. It was partly caused by my vanity and over-exaggeration of my credentials.

I learned my lesson the hard way, and I hope other young adults could learn from my mistake".

Top images via 内蒙古民族文化艺术研究院/WeChat & Unsplash