[opendtv] Fake Chip Storm Rocks China's Science Elite
- From: "John Shutt" <shuttj@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: "OpenDTV" <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 15 May 2006 16:21:06 -0400
Hopefully their DTV standard will fare better.
John
<http://news.ft.com/cms/s/aa4c6b98-e377-11da-a015-0000779e2340.html>
Fake chip storm rocks China's science elite
By Richard McGregor in Beijing
Published: May 14 2006 19:25 | Last updated: May 14 2006 19:25
China's scientific establishment has been shaken by the sacking of a dean at
one its most prestigious universities for falsely claiming to have invented
a much-praised "indigenous" computer chip.
The scandal coincides with a concerted push by the central government to put
"innovation" at the heart of an economic development model which has so far
relied on imported technology.
The government wants to ensure that as the economy becomes enmeshed with the
rest of world - and its rules governing intellectual property rights - that
China develops its own commercial technologies rather than buying in from
overseas.
The country has poured substantial government research funds into fields
such as biotech, telecoms, nuclear power and chip design in an effort to
develop technology.
Jiaotong University in Shanghai said late on Friday it had fired Chen Jin,
dean of the Microelectronics School, for faking research behind a series of
chips for digital signals processing.
Mr Chen was also the general manager of the Hanxin Sci-Tech, the company
that produced the chips.
The university and later the government launched an investigation into the
Hanxin chip series after receiving a letter in December from a
whistle-blower alleging that Mr Chen had faked the research behind it.
Xinhua, the official news agency, said Mr Chen had "fooled" technical
appraisal teams from the university and government ministries that had
funded his project into believing that he had developed the chips himself.
"On the basis of the investigation summaries, the university concluded that
Chen's deeds had flouted academic ethical codes and the university
constitution, and had brought the research community into disrepute," the
Xinhua statement said.
Mr Chen's chip was neither based on technology he said he had developed
himself, nor could it perform the functions he claimed for it, the short
statement said.
The 21st Century Business Herald, a respected newspaper that has pursued the
case, reported that Mr Chen had taken chips produced by Freescale
Semiconductor, formerly a unit of Motorola, and then used low-paid migrant
workers to scrub its trademarks off and replace them with that of Hanxin.
Neither company was available for comment.
Mr Chen's own project had received Rmb114m ($14.2m) for research to develop
the Hanxin chips. Xinhua said he had been asked to pay back the money.
It also said Mr Chen had been banned from conducting any further state
research projects but did not say whether he would be prosecuted or punished
further over the episode.
"Jiaotong University has warned its professors and researchers to be
disciplined and to comply with ethical codes in scientific research," Xinhua
said.
The university, whose famous graduates include Jiang Zemin, the former
president, said it strongly supported "the severe actions taken by relevant
government departments".
"In the future, the school will strengthen its management of research and
its oversight of research funds."
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