Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Returnee Committed Suicide


A civil engineering postdoc appointee of Zhejiang University ended his life by jumping over a building on September 16, 2009. Dr. Tu Xuxin graduated from Qinghua University with dual degree in civil engineering (2000) and law (2001) and received a PhD from Northwestern University in Chicago.

In the suicide note, Tu mentioned frustration in promotion process, but attributed the reason of suicide to family violence. Tu complained being abused by his wife Dr. Fang Xin and his parents in law.

A post on the popular Tianya forum alleged that Dr. Fang referred her husband as 'A Triple Void Product': no house, no car, no clout. Shortly after a phone conversation between Dr. Tu and Dr. Fang together with her parents, Dr. Tu jumped.

In Chinese community, a returnee is also referred to as a sea turtle, because the pronunciation of turtle is same as 'return'.

2 comments:

Megan said...

Hi, do you know what he received his PhD in at University of Chicago? Thank you!

Unknown said...

Tu's true suicide note has been released has seems that it's all about discredit and academic dictatorship of Zhejiang University. I'm so disappointed that someone tried to fake the suicide note saying it was about domestic problem. Shame on Zhejiang University.