After successfully completing all the requirements for a PhD including a thesis (“The impact of the Olympic Games on Chinese development: A multi-disciplinary analysis”), Deng Yaping beams proudly. (Photo : https://ukchinese.wordpress.com)
Controversy ensued as people from China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL) in Beijing questioned the appointment of retired table tennis player Deng Yaping as an adjunct professor.
Some CUPL faculty members and students questioned whether Deng is competent to assume the said position and if the appointment procedures were done legally, reported China Daily.
The school decided to bring in Deng, a four-time Olympic champion, and announced the decision on Dec. 2 through its micro-blog.
On Dec. 6, the school confirmed Deng’s appointment through the same platform.
Deng will join the faculty at the physical education department. She will help design a program for the school’s varsity players in table tennis.
CUPL needs “to forge a vibrant sports culture,” according to the official school statement. As a faculty member, Deng can contribute to make that happen.
The university’s table tennis team is undergoing a “high-level” development, and the school believes Deng is fit for the job.
The statement released by CUPL, however, did not include details concerning the specific job responsibilities of Deng and the evaluation procedure.
The 42-year-old mother currently works as a deputy secretary-general of People's Daily.
Deng holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Land Economy from the University of Cambridge in England. She earned her bachelor's degree from Tsinghua University in Beijing.
The Zhengzhou-born sports star also went to the University of Nottingham in England and attended, under a scholarship, the university’s Centre for English Language to help her finish her master's degree, according to the official website of Laureus.
The University of Nottingham’s Department of Sport announced on July 9, 2013, through the school’s official website, that the university “is launching a sports scholarship scheme for talented Chinese students in honour of alumna and legendary World and Olympic table tennis champion, Deng Yaping.”
Declared Chinese Sports Personality of the Century in 1999 and was inducted at the International Table Tennis Federation Hall of Fame in 2003, Deng’s biography at Laureus begins with a strong assertion of her prowess as an athlete: “widely acclaimed as the greatest female player in table tennis history.”
Laureus is an organization behind the annual Laureus World Sports Awards, a prestigious award in the sporting world. It also operates the Laureus World Sports Academy and the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation.
Some notable CUPL alumni include Malaysian politician Loh Gwo Burne (Master of Laws); Chinese writer Hao Qun, who goes by the pen name Murong Xuecun; and the country’s deputy chief of the Office for Rural Work, Yuan Chunqing (Master of Laws).
