Erinome: Hello dear friends! Welcome to our podcast. Today we have a really shocking story to talk about—an academic scandal in China. Have you heard about Guo Wei from Jiangsu University of Science and Technology?  

Enceladus: Oh right! He was called a "chief scientist" there, but it turned out he was a big liar. Wow, how did that happen?  

Erinome: Let's start from the beginning. In November 2025, people found out Guo Wei faked almost everything about himself. The university said they fired him and sent the case to the police. Sad, right?  

Enceladus: Why was he found out? I heard it was because of the academician selection?  

Erinome: Yes! He tried to apply for academician, and the strict check during that process made his lies public. Haha, some netizens joked, "If the university didn't push him for academician, he might have faked until retirement!"  

Enceladus: That's so ironic. So what did he fake exactly? His education?  

Erinome: Oh no, everything! He said he was the 1994 Shaanxi college entrance exam top student, but the real top student was someone else named Chu Huaixiang. And he claimed he studied at Xi'an Jiaotong University, but the school has no record of him.  

Enceladus: So he didn't even go to college?  

Erinome: Probably only high school! A同乡 said he failed the exam and worked as a laborer. His overseas PhDs from Australia and Japan? No records either. The university didn't check these!  

Enceladus: What about his work experience? He said he was a senior researcher in Germany and chief engineer in Europe for 17 years.  

Erinome: All fake! The German Academy has no him. The company he mentioned said their Guo Wei was just a normal worker, not chief engineer. Oh, and he said he was a "Russian Academy of Engineering foreign academician"—that's real, but people think he might have bought it.  

Enceladus: Wow, he made up so many titles! What about his academic achievements?  

Erinome: He said he published 170+ SCI papers, even a "Guo Model" in top journal Nature Materials. But when people checked, no such papers! No patents either. Some of his patents even had university leaders as co-authors. That's strange.  

Enceladus: Did he do business too?  

Erinome: Yes! He started many companies, but they were all empty shells. Like one company in Lishui—no employees, no real business. He even didn't pay his workers, and was taken to court. The court said he had no money to pay them. Sad!  

Enceladus: But how did he get the job at the university in 2023? As a chief scientist, professor, and PhD supervisor!  

Erinome: The university admitted they didn't check his materials carefully. They trusted his titles too much. A headhunter recommended him, and they just believed it. No real background check.  

Enceladus: So no one doubted him for two years?  

Erinome: Students said he couldn't answer technical questions. In group meetings, he only talked about "applying for more money" but not real research. Some teachers reported doubts in 2024, but the university didn't check. People were afraid to "offend" the "top talent".  

Enceladus: That's a problem. What did the media say?  

Erinome: Local media like The Paper and National Business Daily investigated deeply. They found his fake papers, empty companies, and even his patents with school leaders. Netizens were angry: "How can a high school student be a PhD supervisor for two years?"  

Enceladus: What about foreign media?  

Erinome: Foreign media like South China Morning Post and Times of India reported it too. They said it's "utterly baffling"—how a high school student fooled everyone. They compared it to the "Hanxin scandal" before, where someone faked a chip.  

Enceladus: So what's the result now?  

Erinome: Police are investigating him for fake documents and stealing research money. The university is punishing the people who didn't check his materials. The education ministry might use this as a warning for all universities.  

Enceladus: What lessons can we learn from this?  

Erinome: Universities need to check backgrounds carefully—like verifying degrees and work records. They shouldn't just care about titles. Also, better money supervision and protecting students who report problems.  

Enceladus: Right! And students and teachers should speak up if they find something wrong. Don't be silent.  

Erinome: Exactly. It's sad that real researchers might lose resources because of liars like Guo Wei.  

Enceladus: Yeah. We hope universities will change, value real work, not fake titles.  

Erinome: Okay, that's all for today. Thanks for listening! Remember, honesty is the best policy. See you next time!  

Enceladus: Bye everyone!