"Student Geng" Ignites Academic Fraud Storm in China, Gains Support from State Media

(CNA Taipei, July 2) A Chinese video blogger active on platforms like Bilibili and Douyin, known as "Student Geng Tells Stories" ("Student Geng," real name Geng Hongwei), has recently exposed multiple instances of fraud involving top Chinese scholars and journals. He has questioned the reliability of scientific papers due to issues such as abnormal data, duplicate images, and unreliable experiments, sparking widespread attention in China.

Unlike many previous whistleblowers in China who faced official suppression, "Student Geng" has received commentary support from Xinhua News Agency, a top-tier Chinese state media outlet.

The Wall Street Journal reported that video blogger "Student Geng" has exposed a series of fraud cases involving China's top scholars and journals, leading some Chinese universities to swiftly launch investigations and punish academic misconduct.

On May 12, "Student Geng" reported fabricated data by a scientist at Shanghai University in the journal Nature Nanotechnology. The university announced an investigation that same day. A month later, the university reported that academic misconduct had been confirmed, leading to the dismissal of a postdoctoral researcher and the removal of the dean of the university's Institute of Translational Medicine.

With a series of fraud cases involving China's top scholars and renowned scientific journals exposed, Student Geng has gained significant fame in China and may have become the most influential figure in Chinese medical academia.

With just a 5-minute video, this 33-year-old former doctoral student can bring an academic star's career to an abrupt end. Geng Hongwei studied biology at Jilin University for his undergraduate and master's degrees, and later pursued a doctorate at Beihang University, but did not graduate.

When he began posting content on social media a few years ago, Student Geng was pursuing a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering. He later found that the income from self-media was quite high, and his desire for a doctoral degree diminished, leading him to drop out last year.

In an interview, Student Geng said that the university's swift action might be related to his large number of followers and the significant public opinion impact. On June 21, Student Geng released his latest video, targeting a 2025 paper in the world-leading scientific journal Nature. The universities of some authors of the paper quickly announced investigations, and Nature stated last week that it was verifying the paper.

Chinese state media are also supporting Student Geng and expressing concerns about potential damage to the national reputation. The official Xinhua News Agency commented on Student Geng's exposés, stating: "If even top scholar teams cannot ensure the authenticity and reliability of the research process, how can we expect to build a cornerstone of scientific integrity throughout society?"

As more suspected cases of fraud are revealed, Student Geng's rhetoric has become increasingly sharp. He attributes these fraudulent practices to two main reasons: first, junior researchers' eagerness for promotion leading to expediency, and second, senior professors' tolerance of academic misconduct to embellish their resumes.

In the past two months, Chinese universities have disciplined senior scholars involved in論文 errors pointed out by Student Geng, with each case being handled in just a few weeks.

Erika Pastrana, Vice President overseeing Nature's research journals, stated that the publisher is evaluating the papers reported by Student Geng as quickly as possible, but emphasized that "it is very important to carefully and comprehensively evaluate all aspects of these allegations."