Nanjing Forestry University’s young associate professor, Song Kai, committed suicide in early April after failing the assessment of his first term at the school. It is reported that he was considered a “talent” brought in by the university, but due to his assessment failure, he was demoted to a lecturer and was required to return part of the “settling-in allowance” he had received. This news has once again raised questions from the public about the “promote or leave” policy.
On April 2nd of this year, Song Kai, an associate professor in the Department of Environmental Engineering at Nanjing Forestry University’s School of Ecology and Environment, was found dead by suicide at home, at the age of 38.
A source, Yang Yue, told The Paper that Song Kai did not pass the assessment of his first term, resulting in a salary and rank reduction, and the return of part of the housing subsidy and settling-in allowance. Yang mentioned, “It’s not just about the money, it’s a kind of intellectual negation that is highly valued.”
Song Kai’s mentor and students recalled him as diligent, gentle, friendly, always smiling. Song Kai and his wife have a child, bought a house in Nanjing, but had not finished paying off the mortgage.
Song Kai was a recruited talent with a position, and although not under the “promote or leave” policy, he faced a similar situation.
Yang Yue also stated, “In terms of assessment standards, it’s difficult to meet them if teachers don’t have nationally funded research projects in hand.” To qualify, one must obtain a National Natural Science Foundation project, along with publications. Although Song Kai had published some papers, he did not secure a project.
Another source mentioned that Song Kai suffered from depression. Before the Chinese New Year, he needed to submit a research project proposal for funding, but he often locked himself in his room, had difficulty getting up, ate very little, and only started writing his thesis at night, with minimal progress.
According to public records, Song Kai, born in 1986, graduated from Tianjin University of Technology with a master’s degree from Peking University, and a Ph.D. and post-doc from the University of British Columbia in Canada. In 2019, at the age of 33, Song Kai was introduced to Nanjing Forestry University’s School of Ecology and Environment as a high-level talent.
Following Song Kai’s suicide, the public generally believes that his act was related to the immense pressure of the “promote or leave” policy.
Zhao Lin, a university professor who has experienced the “promote or leave” system, said that research projects are the key to promotion for teachers at universities. He mentioned knowing of teachers who failed to secure national funding projects twice, causing immense pressure. Additionally, failing to pass assessments leading to demotion or dismissal is a common occurrence, as seen in schools where many post-docs were recruited but most eventually left.
Qiu Jiajun, former associate professor of the Politics Department at Tongji University in Shanghai, told Radio Free Asia that as per the hiring standards of Nanjing Forestry University, the initial term is too short to yield research results. Furthermore, Chinese universities place significant emphasis on the “political tendencies” of scholars. If the institution deems a scholar’s political stance incompatible with the mainstream, it becomes difficult for the scholar to obtain national or provincial-level research projects.
“When an expert or professor goes to a new place, they first need to familiarize themselves with the environment before having the time to apply for research topics. Research topics require professional justification, meaning they must be adept at writing project proposals. In China, apart from research skills, project proposals need to align with the government and understand the research environment there,” Qiu Jiajun stated.
Qiu Jiajun further added, “I estimate that in the 1-2 years of the initial term at the university, Song Kai was in the stage of familiarizing himself with the environment, yet suddenly it was already the third year. Under these circumstances, it’s extremely challenging to achieve significant and satisfactory research topics.”
The 2023 “Nanjing Forestry University High-Level Talent First Term Evaluation Measures” stipulates that the initial term lasts 3-4 years, with assessments based on a total score of 100 points, including 50 points for research projects and 50 points for papers. A score of 100 is considered qualified, and the remaining housing subsidy is given out at once; a score of 75 and above is deemed basically qualified, without receiving the remaining housing subsidy, leading to a downgraded appointment. Those scoring below 75 will not be renewed, or will be conditionally downgraded by mutual agreement.
Amidst the ongoing public outcry, on the afternoon of May 13th, the personnel of Nanjing Forestry University responded by stating that Song Kai returned a 10,000 yuan settling-in allowance because he did not meet the school’s assessment requirements, which was a clause agreed upon in the initial contract.
Qiao Weichuan, director of the Department of Environmental Engineering at Nanjing Forestry University, told China Youth Daily that the university does not have a “promote or leave” policy but follows regular assessments as per the employment contract. The teacher who failed the assessment was demoted from associate professor to lecturer.
Peng Pai News reported that strict evaluations have been spreading, with more and more universities adopting similar methods. According to incomplete statistics, as of the end of 2018, over 110 universities have implemented a new employment system centered around the “promote or leave” policy.