Peking University, one of China's most prestigious institute of higher learning, announced Friday that it will commend teachers who had made outstanding academic research achievements and punish those who had plagiarized research results of others.

The university is to provide big rewards to Wang Xuan, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a well-known computer application specialist who was awarded the State Preeminent Science and Technology Award in 2001. It will also bestow rewards to Zhai Zhonghe, Tu Chuanyi and Pu Zuyin, who had won the second-class Awards of Science and Technology.

Meanwhile, Wang Mingming, a professor with the university's sociology department, was deprived of his academic posts for serious plagiary.

Peking University has a fine tradition in academic research, but it is not a place for taking refuge, said Peking University President Xu Zhihong. University teachers are encouraged to guard against bad academic style and set good examples for students, Xu added.

A series of meetings have been held to revise disciplines on academic research.

(Xinhua News Agency March 3, 2002)