Jia Pingwa (left) and Jia Qianqian Photo: Sina Weibo

Northwest University has launched an investigation into one of its faculty members over allegations of plagiarism in academic papers, the university said on Thursday, according to a China News report.

Snapshot of Northwest University's statement Photo: Sina Weibo

In a brief statement, the Shaanxi-based university said it had taken online reports about Jia Qianqian, a teacher at its College of Liberal Arts, seriously and set up a task force to investigate. 

It said it had "zero tolerance" for academic misconduct and would handle the case strictly in accordance with regulations to uphold academic integrity. The statement thanked the public for their concern and oversight. 

Jia, an associate professor, is the daughter of acclaimed novelist Jia Pingwa, a winner of the Mao Dun Literature Prize, one of China's most prestigious literary awards.

The allegations emerged when a blogger identified as "Lyric Forest" posted in early April that Jia's 2014 paper shared similarities with works by four other authors without proper citations. Another paper on Jia Pingwa's calligraphy was accused of directly copying text from a 1994 commentary by her father, with only minor word modifications.

In a follow-up post on Tuesday, the blogger alleged that the two disputed papers were split versions of Jia's master's thesis, reigniting public attention.

Attempts to reach Jia for comment were unsuccessful. Staff at Northwest University's general office and College of Liberal Arts told reporters that Jia was unavailable and the university declined interviews, respectively, according to the China News report.

Inquiries to Shaanxi Normal University's related department where Jia Qianqian earned her master's degree revealed that the university would provide feedback and handle the matter through its publicity department. 

The case comes amid a broader campaign in China to combat academic misconduct. 

In March, China's National Natural Science Foundation announced disciplinary actions against 46 individuals for research misconduct, including plagiarism of grant proposals and purchasing ghostwriting services. 

In November, the Ministry of Science and Technology launched a special crackdown targeting retracted papers by Chinese scholars in international journals, covering plagiarism, data fabrication, paper trading, and fabricated peer reviews. 

Authorities have signaled that such investigations will continue as they push for a long-term governance mechanism to strengthen academic integrity and deter future violations, according to the ministry.

Global Times