Tongji University in Shanghai Abolishes Tenured Faculty Positions, Faces Criticism Over Impact on Innovative Research

(CNA reporter Chang Ch'ien, Hong Kong, 4th) According to reports, Tongji University in Shanghai, China, recently announced that it will no longer sign long-term employment contracts for professional technical positions across the university, fully implementing a periodic term-based evaluation system. This move has sparked controversy within the academic community, with some scholars criticizing it as short-sighted and detrimental to original research.

The Ming Pao reported that at the beginning of last month, news circulated online that Tongji University had first released the results of its evaluation policy, with many professors, associate professors, and regular lecturers marked as 'not to be renewed upon contract expiration.'

The report cited sources stating that traditional engineering sectors are rapidly shrinking and that universities are facing financial strain, with Tongji University under fiscal pressure.

By the end of last month, Tongji University's Personnel Office issued a 'Notice on Conducting the 2026 University-wide Professional Technical Position Evaluation and Renewal Work,' stating that to strengthen term-based accountability, the university will implement term evaluation management for professional technical positions and will no longer sign long-term employment contracts. Starting this year, personnel under the existing system and probationary positions will be evaluated every three years, while tenured positions will be evaluated every six years, with mid-term evaluations every three years.

The report cited analysis indicating that Tongji University's reform focuses on breaking the 'institutional position equals permanent job' norm, expanding the periodic evaluation mechanism from junior faculty to senior and tenured professors.

Zhang Taisu, a professor at Yale Law School in the United States, criticized Tongji University's abolition of tenure as short-sighted. He stated that original research rarely emerges under constant evaluation, as researchers often need to take significant academic risks, which become unbearable under the administrative pressure of 'a review every three years, a major review every five years.'

He added, 'If there isn't some unknown administrative or financial hardship behind this, then it's a very foolish act of self-harm.' (Editor: Chu Chien-ling) 1150804

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