On March 13, 2025, a professor and doctoral supervisor at the Law School of Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, Li Li, was found to be the only second-level professor who did not pass the assessment. Upon receiving the news, Li Li took to his social media circle to express his dissatisfaction, stating, “The Law School of Zhongnan must be blind. How did they recruit such a talentless person back then?” He then announced his withdrawal from the social group. The former “985” dean admitted his incompetence, sparking discussions.
The news about a “Professor at Zhongnan University of Economics and Law withdrawing from the group due to assessment failure and posting a self-criticism on social media” on March 11 quickly gained widespread attention online.
Screenshots showed that a user with the ID “Li Li” in a social group mentioned that he withdrew from the group due to assessment failure. He expressed his frustration about the assessment results and criticized the difficulty of publishing papers, stating his regret for not meeting the standards. Another user with a probable ID “Ali 2” lamented about their self-perceived incompetence and the unexpected assessment outcome.
Following the incident, news outlets contacted various departments of Zhongnan University of Economics and Law for verification. The university’s Teachers’ Affairs Committee responded by stating that they are aware of the situation, and relevant departments are handling it.
The Propaganda Department of the university mentioned that they are still unclear about the specific situation regarding Professor Li Li and are further investigating.
Attempts to contact Professor Li Li through various channels were unsuccessful.
According to the official website of the Law School of Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, Li Li is a professor and doctoral supervisor at the institute.
A news article released on September 27, 2018, mentioned that Li Li was appointed as the inaugural “Nanhu Scholar” special professor at the Law School of Zhongnan University of Economics and Law in September 2018.
Li Li holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Law from Peking University and a Ph.D. from the Law School of China University of Political Science and Law. He is currently serving as a special professor at the Law School of Zhongnan University of Economics and Law and holds various positions at academic institutions in China and Japan.
On the afternoon of March 12, the Law School of Zhongnan University of Economics and Law explained that Li Li’s assessment results did not meet the requirements, leading to his assessment being deemed unsatisfactory. The university clarified that there is no policy for eliminating 10% of faculty members and that an unsatisfactory assessment would not result in dismissal, but some decrease in compensation, while allowing the affected individual to appeal.
Netizens expressed surprise at the situation and debated the criteria for assessments and the consequences of failure.
In an interview on the 12th, Li Li stated that he had applied for retirement as he was reaching the legal retirement age and expressed his indifference towards the assessment results.
Li Li criticized the university’s assessment process, claiming it lacked fairness and scientific rigor.
Li Li, who previously served as the Dean of the Law School at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, joined Zhongnan University of Economics and Law as a professor in October 2018.
Huazhong University of Science and Technology is a key university under the “985 Project” and “211 Project” of the Communist Party of China. The Law School at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, as a second-level institute, is part of the legal discipline within the 985 university system.