A Taiwanese student at Fudan University in Shanghai was recorded punching a teacher on stage at their graduation ceremony on Wednesday.
The alleged assailant, surnamed Hsia (夏), was shortlisted as a candidate for the Peking University Health Science Center (BJMU) master’s degree program in April this year, but according to the institution was still undergoing ideological and moral assessment. On Thursday, the university emphasized that it focuses on cultivating students with moral integrity, therefore candidates with criminal convictions and improper statements would not be considered for enrollment.
In the video shared online, Hsia appears to punch one of the professors handing out diplomas, a blow which knocks the professor’s glasses and cap off, just before jumping off the stage and running away. The police apprehended Hsia shortly after, taking him in for questioning. The professor was taken to the hospital where he was reported to have sustained minor injuries.
While the motivation behind the attack has not been clearly confirmed, Hsia had posted on social media in January, criticizing the university and expressing that his parents forced him to study in Shanghai against his will. Through Hsia’s statements it is speculated that the dean was the intended target of the attack.