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A database tracking the deaths of young Chinese scientists has triggered a heated debate amid growing concern about whether there is a disturbing pattern emerging among the academic community. But the list also triggered a public backlash, with critics raising ethical concerns about the way the information was used and questioning whether it was giving the full picture. According to the file posted on CSND, an online platform for computer programmers, last week, at least 76 researchers under the age of 60 have died so far this year, compared with 44 for the whole of last year. The youngest was Dong Sijia, an oceanographer and assistant professor at Nanjing University, who died at the age of 33. The anonymous compiler from Guangdong said the list – based on publicly available information – “fills a gap” in public knowledge and could be used to support research into the issue, highlight regional disparities and support policymaking. But the database, which tracked premature deaths dating back to 2010, sparked a backlash, with some critics complaining it was cold-blooded and was treating the dead academics as “beasts of burden” for research purposes. One social media user warned that any research based on these statistics might pose ethical risks. “Did their families consent to this information being collected for research purposes, and could the research findings cause secondary harm?” she asked. Another account focused on statistics said the list was not a series of abstract data points. “Those young lecturers, researchers and associate professors who passed away prematurely … their lives were frozen in time as mere entries in a spreadsheet,” the post said. The account also noted that the quality of the data in this list was not particularly high and did not give the full picture. It said a significant number of cases would not have been publicly recorded, especially from earlier years when internet use was less widespread. Many online comments also asked why young faculty members were being singled out given there were no statistics showing whether the death rate for this group was higher than other groups, such as manual labourers or ride-hailing drivers. However, there is increasing public concern over the pressures on young researchers. In May, a study published in the peer-reviewed journal Preventive Medicine Reports declared a “troubling rise” in suicides in academic settings at a time when suicide rates are falling elsewhere in the country. The team’s analysis found that most cases involved young male academics from elite science and engineering programmes. Academic pressures were deemed the dominant factor, contributing to 65 per cent of the suicides. Such research has prompted criticism of China’s “up or out” race for tenure – typically involving a six-year fixed employment period at the end of which researchers must meet specific criteria to get promoted or else face dismissal – as well as the difficulty of obtaining funding and the crushing workload many academics face. However, Fan Xiudi, director of the Education Evaluation Research Centre at Tongji University in Shanghai, has previously argued that death rates among young faculty members need further analysis to identify the causes, which may include accidents, illness or family issues. “Currently, the public broadly attributes these tragedies to work pressure and the ‘up or out’ system and easily vent their frustrations, which does little to genuinely resolve the issue,” she said. If you have suicidal thoughts or know someone who is experiencing them, help is available. In Hong Kong, you can dial 18111 for the government-run Mental Health Support Hotline. You can also call +852 2896 0000 for The Samaritans or +852 2382 0000 for Suicide Prevention Services. In the US, call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. For a list of other nations’ helplines, see this page.
