Dear WUR community,
We are reaching out to you to address a deeply concerning issue that severely hurts many Chinese members at WUR. On May 11th, 2023,
Resource published an article titled
"We need to talk about China: Cheap Chinese PhD students are on such low grants that WUR is considering subsidizing them. And that’s not the only issue with the Chinese". This article, initially addressing the underpayment of scholarship PhDs, unfortunately contains many one-sided, generalizing, and discriminatory remarks targeting Chinese students and researchers, along with baseless claims and insinuations.
While we recognize the importance of addressing the financial difficulties faced by all scholarship PhDs, it is unacceptable to engage in discriminatory practices and perpetuate harmful stereotypes in the process.It is disheartening to note that not a single Chinese PhD, whether on scholarship or employment, was interviewed for this article. Furthermore, supervisors at WUR who collaborate extensively with Chinese PhDs were not consulted either. Such an approach, which talks about Chinese PhDs instead of engaging with them, demonstrates irresponsible and unprofessional journalism.
By viewing and judging people merely based on their nationality rather than recognizing their individual agency, ability, and goals, the article perpetuates harmful prejudice, stereotypes, and discrimination against the Chinese community, contributing to their marginalization at WUR and fueling polarization within Dutch society. Examples of generalizing and discriminatory views as well as baseless claims in the article ( “80% of Chinese PhDs do not pay bench fee”, “students and PhD candidates who lack academic and social freedom”, “scared and can't speak out”, “foot soldiers”, “
misusing the PhD bonus to train Chinese scientists” etc.) and the corresponding responses from us are provided
here.
The publication of this article has stigmatized and deeply hurt many Chinese students, PhDs, and researchers at WUR.
Unfortunately, the response we received from the editorial team of Resource, after bringing up these concerns, was indifferent. We firmly believe that such irresponsible practices and attitudes have no place in our WUR community. It is crucial for us to stand together against this manifestation of injustice.
In light of this, we, as 9 Chinese PhDs at WUR, urge the editorial team of
Resource and WUR to undertake the following actions in response to this publication and its impact:
1. Retraction: Resource should retract the article due to its one-sided and discriminatory views, as well as baseless claims targeting Chinese students and researchers.
2. Formal Apology: Resource should publish a formal apology to the WUR Chinese community in both the magazine and on social media platforms.
3. Combating Discrimination: Resource should reflect on its article review guidelines to incorporate robust anti-discrimination measures and commit to actively combating neocolonial, discriminatory, and stigmatizing practices against any international community at WUR.
4. Public Statement: The WUR Rector should issue a public statement addressing this article, ensuring its visibility extends beyond
the WUR Intranet and reaches the entire campus community, as well as being publicly accessible.
5. Support and Safety Measures: DARE and the Social Safety Office of WUR should implement measures to mitigate the negative impact of this article on the mental health, social safety, and well-being of Chinese students and researchers as well as any member of the WUR community.
By signing this letter, you will send a powerful message to Resource and WUR that we, as a community, will not tolerate the promotion of discriminatory practices and the perpetuation of harmful stereotypes. Your signature will help demonstrate the widespread concern and demand for change, urging
Resource to take responsibility for their actions and make a meaningful commitment to inclusive and respectful journalism. Furthermore, we call on WUR to take measures to create a safe and inclusive environment for international communities.
To sign the petition, please leave your name below. We kindly ask for your support in amplifying our message by sharing the letter with your own networks. Together, we can make a significant impact in raising awareness of anti-discrimination, fostering inclusive dialogue, and driving positive change within the WUR community.
Thank you for your support in this important cause.
Sincerely,
Anran Li, Weiyi Cao, Li Kang, Weixin Huang, Xiaoning Zhang, Weitong Long, Wanting Yin, Xiaorui Guo, Yifan Zhang
773 signatures on this petition (up to 16:14, 19/6/2023):Jian Liu, Kaiwen Wang, Ke Peng, Xiaofang Yan, Ziyu Li, Tao Song, Ling Zhang,
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