On May 15, 2024, Jilin University’s School of Public Diplomacy informed Björn Alexander Düben, an assistant professor with German citizenship, that his visa would be canceled unless he resigned. The threat was made in apparent retaliation for comments that he made to Voice of America (VOA) about Chinese policies in Europe.
At the beginning of May, VOA contacted Düben to participate in an interview. Düben received requests like this regularly. On May 11, VOA Mandarin published an article that featured critical comments from Düben on Chinese President Xi Jinping’s relationship with Ukraine.
On May 12, Jilin University’s international secretary sent Düben a message on WeChat, informing him that he should give the university advance notice of any media interviews. The messages stated, “It is well known that colleges and universities must be responsible for any form of interviews with domestic and foreign media.”
On May 15, as Düben prepared for class later that day, a university administrator informed him that his lectures had been canceled and that he was being asked to resign. He was told that if he did not resign, his China Talent visa would be canceled. The administrator told him that the instructions had come from unspecified “higher-level authorities.” Under pressure, Düben submitted his resignation. He was then told that his visa remained valid, but that he was required to leave China by May 30 and would not be able to re-enter the country.
Scholars at Risk is concerned about the forced resignation of a professor in retaliation for exercising the right to academic freedom and free expression on matters within her area of professional expertise. Higher education authorities have an obligation not to interfere with expressive activity, so long as that activity is undertaken peacefully and responsibly. Such actions have a chilling effect on academic freedom.
Sources:
https://www.voanews.com/a/foreign-professor-fired-from-chinese-university-after-interview-with-voa-/7682090.html
https://www.rnd.de/panorama/professor-aus-china-ausgewiesen-forschung-am-rande-der-diplomatie-4NDELBGGJVEGZHST7TUW5UBTCU.html