20 Former or Current University Leaders in China Succumb to Illness in Past 3 Months

More than 10 were the highest-level cadres of their university, such as university president, deputy president, Party head, or deputy Party head.

The main entrance of the Schwarzman College of Tsinghua University in Beijing. Teng Teng, former deputy party boss and vice president of Tsinghua University, and former president of the University of Science and Technology of China, died of illness on July 30, 2023. Nicolas Asfouri/AFP

Universities in communist China have reported losing quite a few academics and ideological leaders over the past three months.

From June to August this year, at least 20 cadres in universities, all members of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), died of illness.