High-salary Schoolmaster Dismissed for Doubtful Harvard Diploma

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, June 28, 2002

High-salary Schoolmaster Dismissed for Doubtful Harvard Diploma

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Chen Lin, a "Harvard doctor" employed by the Shandong Foreign Affairs and Translation College (SFATC) in east China at a yearly salary of 120,000 U.S. dollars, received a notice no more than 50 days later that he was relieved from his post of administrative principal, for his Harvard diploma was suspected false.

SFATC conducted investigation into Chen's identity as "Harvard doctor", and raised doubts, according to China Youth Daily. While Chen insisted that his Harvard experience was true when interviewed by journalists in Jinan on June 26.

In an open letter to the press, SFATC said it had decided after a school heads meeting to dismiss Chen from his post, saying that at beginning most teachers and students expected much from Chen, but later found they were quite split on education theories and methods therefore difficult to communicate with each other.

As for Chen's Harvard diploma, Chen didn't show it as required by the school, saying his experience was published on many newspapers and websites at home and abroad. While the school, eager to introduce talents to gain an edge in the fierce competition in education circles, decided to offer Chen the post of administrative principal.

The dismiss is not breaking the contract between the school and Chen, for according to which, if one of the two parities feel unsatisfied it can inform the other party three months in advance, said the school president Sun Chengwu. Further investigations would be carried out and the school would pay Chen three months' salary if his Harvard doctor identity proved true, Sun added.

While Chen argued that when finding a job in the US no one would ask you to show your diploma, for your capability speaks for itself. Besides, it is difficult to prove your diploma is true and his file can be found on Harvard website, including his name, his tutor's name and the thesis title.

Chen further said that his experience in China Science and Technology University is also true, the China Youth Daily went to the university in Hefei for investigation, but he attended a college in Beijing under the same name. He was under Professor Merton's instruction between 1990 and 1994. As for why the professor didn't remember him, he said maybe it's a misunderstanding caused by the question raiser's pronunciation or expression mistakes. Talking of his major, he said public policy is a big direction, under which there are many branches such as health policy or diplomacy policy, and the economic and commercial administration he attended is one of them.

If his identity as Harvard doctor proved false, he would like to retune dozen times or even hundred times of his salary, as well as shoulder legal responsibilities, he said at last.

By PD Online Staff Member Li Heng

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