Recently, Vice President Guo Xueyi of Central South University announced that he is under investigation, becoming the 64th senior official under central management to be publicly reported for investigation this year. Of note, just over two months ago, Guo Xueyi’s former supervisor – the former president of the university and academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Zhang Yaoxue, was also investigated.
On December 27, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China and the National Supervisory Commission reported that Guo Xueyi, member of the Communist Party Committee and Vice President of Central South University, is suspected of serious violations of discipline and law, and is currently undergoing disciplinary review and supervision investigation by the central disciplinary commission and supervisory commission.
Public records show that Guo Xueyi was born in October 1966 in Changsha, Hunan Province. He holds a doctoral degree in engineering, is a professor, a doctoral supervisor, a recipient of the special allowance from the State Council of the CPC, and a distinguished professor of the Yangtze River Scholars Program.
Guo Xueyi previously served as an associate professor at the School of Metallurgical Science and Engineering at Central South University of Technology, a researcher at the Faculty of Engineering at Saga University in Japan, a visiting professor and professor at the International Industry-Academia Collaboration Research Center at the University of Tokyo in Japan. In January 2003, he returned to China and took up the position of a professor, doctoral supervisor, and deputy director at the Institute of Heavy Metals Metallurgy in the School of Metallurgical Science and Engineering at Central South University.
In December 2005, Guo Xueyi moved to an administrative position, successively serving as the deputy director and director of the Graduate School Enrollment Office, and the Director of the Personnel Department at Central South University. In July 2016, Guo Xueyi was appointed as a member of the Party Committee and Vice President of Central South University. Prior to his downfall, he had held this position for more than nine years.
In recent times, Guo Xueyi has not made any public appearances. As reported by “Red Star News,” last month, Guo Xueyi’s name was removed from the “Administrative Leadership List” on the official website of Central South University.
It is worth noting that Guo Xueyi’s former supervisor fell from grace over two months ago. According to the report by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission on October 17, Zhang Yaoxue, the former member of the Party Committee and president of Central South University who had been retired for over eight years, was also being investigated.
Based on publicly available resumes, Zhang Yaoxue served as the president of Central South University from October 2011 to May 2017. During this period, Guo Xueyi held positions such as the director of the Graduate School Enrollment Office, Director of the Personnel Department, and Vice President of Central South University, becoming a senior official under central management. However, in the over eight years after Zhang Yaoxue stepped down as president, Guo Xueyi’s duties remained unchanged.
Public records show that Zhang Yaoxue was born in January 1956 in Lixian County, Hunan Province. From 2001 to 2011, Zhang Yaoxue held academic and administrative positions such as Director of the Department of Higher Education of the Ministry of Education, Director of the Degree Management and Graduate Division, Director of the Office of the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council, Director of the 985 Project Office, and Director of the 211 Project Construction Office. From October 2011 to May 2017, Zhang Yaoxue served as the president (deputy ministerial level) of Central South University.
Central South University is located in Changsha City, Hunan Province, and is a key national university directly under the Ministry of Education and a central educational institution.