CHINESE ACADEMIC FIRED FOR FRAUD

The chip was said to be the first developed in China, and Chen Jin, the man behind the processor, was regarded highly for his efforts. Several months ago, however, rumors began circulating that Chen, then the dean of the Microelectronics School at Shanghai Jiaotong University, had produced fraudulent research and that he may also have stolen technology from a foreign company. University officials began looking into the allegations and later brought the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the Shanghai government into the investigation.

A panel ultimately determined that Chen's research had indeed been faked and that the Hanxin chip was not capable of performing as claimed.

Chen has been stripped of his positions as dean and professor and has been ordered to repay research funds he received from the government.

Zhao Nanyuan, a professor of automation at Tsinghua University, said the incident points to insufficient oversight in the country's system for evaluating such research.

Chronicle of Higher Education, 15 May 2006 (sub. req'd)
http://chronicle.com/daily/2006/05/2006051508n.htm