China is seeking to recruit the best scientists, but programs to support them are commonplace saw cut funds. Department of Science “Gazety.Ru” tells a blatant case of financial fraud, which became known this week.
China was at the center of colossal scale scientific scandal: the reason was the banal cut the budget. In order to talk about this, authoritative scientific journal Science currently held detective.
beginning of history with the advent of a new era of brain drain, when the Chinese began to entice yourself promising researchers from around the the world.
The Chinese liked working in the UK German physicist Ulf Leonhardt , which is called in to work in the Center for the optical and electromagnetic research, seducing a monthly salary of $ 21 762. When the decision to move has been made, the Chinese colleagues enrolled Leonhardt in the “Thousand Talents”, established by the authorities of the PRC to fund research of foreign researchers held in the territory of the country. Its winners receive a lump sum of $ 81 642 which can spend on their studies in three years.
In China, there are other competitions and programs with a much more impressive prize funds and subsidies. Many of them are designed for long-term cooperation, and in fact are intended to relocate foreign scientists in China.
In addition, Leonhardt and colleagues were the winners of a similar program of Guangdong Province – the same time gave them $ 163,471 to acquire an additional $ 817,375 over the next 5 years.
He invited the German physicist at the Centre for optical and electromagnetic research Chinese scholar Seyling He educated and known in the West. In addition, it was he who initiated the invitation to China a number of other researchers, as well as their nomination for state grants.
Leonhardt signed, implying that the three months of the year the scientist will hold in China. Enterprising Chinese organized workplace and to fellow scientists – Jana Zilberg.
During the first month, the scientists worked quite comfortable, but then they found a discrepancy in the two versions of the contract for a job .
It turned out that the English version of the agreement implies that Leonhardt will work China three months a year. In Chinese, the same contract stated that he would hold for three months in China, and another three months to work on the Chinese side of the border. In response to a request to correct this point the Chinese responded affirmatively, but later found out that because of the corrected version came only after two years.
Only later it became known that this item was included in the agreement to Chinese can independently manage the grant money in the absence of a foreign professor.
Regular troubles began with the fact that Ian Zilberg not received wages for two months. In response to the claims of the Chinese and invited her to come to understand itself, referring to employment. In the battle joined Leonhardt, but the unexpected happened – Seyling He proposed to transfer to the account immediately Zilberg $ 81,637.
«We have to refuse it – it smells not kosher” – Leonhardt said.
In June 2013 Leonhardt three months came to China. Students at his lectures were asleep, and the atmosphere of the scientist simply depressing. Despite this, he released a number of articles in prestigious scientific journals, citing as the main affilyatsii Center for optical and electromagnetic research.
Leonhardt had planned to study the Casimir effect – effect, which consists in the mutual attraction of uncharged conducting bodies under the influence of quantum fluctuations in vacuo. For this, he planned to use the grant money, which would be quite enough to invite colleagues and related costs.
However, $ 116,741 of these funds have already been spent on the purchase of Chinese equipment, which itself Leonhardt was not necessary. The reason was that notorious clause in the contract.
Moreover, the study of the grant documentation was found that the application for the Casimir effect and is not mentioned. It deals with the study of low-frequency waves. And the purchase of equipment planned to spend $ 440 826, although research Leonhardt were purely theoretical. At the same time make up these documents Seyling He just waves and studies mentioned.
After the German physicist scandal, it grants were canceled.
«He gets $ 20,000 a month. He did not need to think about the details. In China, we must be able to be flexible, “- wrote Seyling Hae, confident that the showdown with Leonhardt are personal. However, other foreign scientists have received grants under the “Thousand Talents”, also confirmed the discrepancies in the documentation. Researchers working directly with Seyling Hae, Leonhardt accusations against the Chinese scientist is not supported.
The very Chinese insisted that the German physicist likes to sue. Thus, at the time he pleaded with the University of St Andrews for unused vacation pay them.
As for the work Leonhardt in China, neither he nor his colleague had not returned to China in 2014. By June, their contracts were terminated. Despite this Seyling Ho and his colleagues from the Center for optical and electromagnetic research attempted to return Leonhardt and even sent him a new proposal.
Now Leonhardt works in Israel. In China, he does not intend to return.
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