Breaking News:
A shocking report claiming that former professor Gong Lin of Beihang University has committed suicide has become a trending topic online. Gong Lin, a married man with two sons, was involved in a scandal within the mainland Chinese education sector – being publicly accused by one of his male students of misconduct. The school has issued two statements regarding the handling of the situation, while Gong has yet to respond to the allegations.
On the afternoon of May 17, rumors of Gong Lin’s suicide circulated on Chinese social media. When contacted for verification, the Beijing Institute of Technology’s Party Committee Office/Administrative Office stated that they had not received any official news and advised to refer to the school’s official announcements.
Prior to this incident, Gong Lin had his professor title revoked, was dismissed from his position as vice-dean, and had his employment contract terminated by the university, indicating his expulsion from the institution.
On the evening of April 19, a male netizen named Chang made a video and wrote a report online, accusing Gong Lin, vice-dean, professor, and doctoral supervisor in the School of Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering at Beihang University. Chang alleged that Gong Lin had engaged in fraudulent acts, sexually harassed students, and had inappropriate relationships with them.
Chang outlined the progression from acquaintanceship to intimacy and misconduct with Gong Lin. According to Chang, they became friends in November 2021, and their relationship developed over time, including dining together, exercising together, and Gong Lin even ordering skincare products for Chang online.
Chang claimed that Gong Lin frequently questioned his sexual orientation and relationship status after they met. Eventually, Gong Lin expressed affection through messages, leading to a sexual encounter in a hotel in Jiaxing, Zhejiang in January 2023.
Subsequently, Gong Lin took Chang to Dalian for more encounters, including multiple inappropriate incidents in the school’s office. Chang mentioned that after each encounter, he would shower and rinse his mouth repeatedly.
Chang disclosed that under Gong Lin’s manipulation, he was guaranteed a recommendation for further studies. Despite initial doubts, Chang chose to trust Gong Lin’s character, only to be met with escalating inappropriate advances from Gong Lin, whose true intentions were revealed.
When questioned why he did not report the incidents earlier, Chang explained that Gong Lin, as a vice-dean and seemingly responsible family man with two children, would have been perceived as a respectable figure. Chang feared being labeled as insane and jeopardizing his future within the academic community.
In addition to exposing Gong Lin’s misconduct, Chang also shared indecent hotel room photos with Gong Lin and created over a hundred pages of a detailed PowerPoint presentation documenting their relationship.
Following the report, Beihang University issued a statement on the early morning of April 20, confirming the allegations and announcing the suspension of all activities involving Gong Lin.
At noon on April 20, Beihang University released another announcement detailing the disciplinary actions taken against Gong Lin: revocation of Party membership, dismissal from administrative duties, removal of professor title, cancellation of the qualification of a supervisor for postgraduate students, revocation of the employment relationship, and a request to the higher education authorities to revoke his teaching qualification.
Born in 1979 in Yuncheng, Shandong, Gong Lin completed his bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees at Beihang University. After graduation, he remained at the university as a teacher and also served as the Deputy Dean, professor, doctoral supervisor of the School of Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering, and General Manager of Beihang Asset Management Co., Ltd.
Chang, born in 2001 in Dunhua, Jilin, is currently 24 years old. He was admitted to Beihang University with a score of 645 in the college entrance examination.