West gate of the Peking University Photo:CNSphoto

Netizens hailed Peking University for sacking Professor Feng Renjie on Wednesday for violating teachers' ethics and discipline over an alleged sex scandal. 

The university revoked Feng's qualifications as a teacher and disqualified him from relevant talent schemes.

Frequent sexual assault scandals among college teachers have prompted Chinese netizens to call for a mechanism to prevent sexual harassment in colleges and universities.

A sound investigation system is required to protect the informant and accused, experts said.

Peking University launched an investigation on December 2 into a report that Feng has maintained sexual relations with multiple women at the same time, including a brief marriage to a college student.

The university's decision comes on the heels of Shanghai University of Finance and Economics' decision to dismiss an associate professor on Monday for allegedly sexually assaulting a student. 

A similar case happened on October 14 when Nanfang College of Sun Yat-sen University dismissed a teacher who was detained on criminal charges for allegedly raping a female student. 

Netizens compiled a list of professors suspected of sexual harassment or scandals at universities across China on Sina Weibo, and encouraged more victims to expose scandals.

Unlike sexual harassment in public spaces, sexual harassment on university campuses is often more insidious, Zhu Wei, a professor at the China University of Political Science and Law in Beijing, told the Global Times.

"Students in a naturally disadvantaged position sometimes find it hard to resist 'excessive care' shown by their teachers. It is also more difficult for them to obtain evidence and defend their rights after being violated, especially when the teacher has a final say on their test scores," said a student, who had been sexually harassed but declined to tell her name.

Zhu emphasized the importance of an investigation mechanism on campus which can respond quickly to victims. But it is also necessary to prevent the abuse of a whistleblower if the complaint involves a false accusation.