On the afternoon of 19 May 2020, a themed lecture on educator work ethics was held in the conference room, Tsung-Dao Lee Institute (TDLI), Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), Minhang Campus. Moderated by Zhao Xin, the Party Secretary of TDLI Branch, the lecture titled “Enhancing the Educator Work Ethics in the New Era” attracted a distinguished speaker Chen Xianfeng, the Standing Deputy Director of the Teachers’ Work Division, SJTU Party Committee and the Deputy Director of the Division of Human Resources, TDLI fellows, postdocs, staff and party members to attend in-person and virtually.

To start off, Chen elaborated on the context of educator work ethics in light of the Ministry of Education’s mandatory requirements and measures and SJTU practice with a further reference to red-flags and cases on negative lists. As put forward by President Xi, the priority given to educator work ethics has reached a new height at the central government level. A large majority of educators value knowledge, nurture students, are highly self-disciplined, respected and appreciated by their students. However, attention should also be given to existing issues in the faculty-building efforts. The timely and appropriate response to these issues is also needed. The Opinions on Enhancing and Improving the Building and Shaping of Educator Work Ethics in the New Era, researched and formulated by the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Education, Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee, Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Human Resources and Social Welfare, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, is circulated in November 2019. Then Chen briefed the audience on SJTU work mechanism and specific measures on the building and monitoring of educator work ethics by drawing upon best practices and role models such as Kong Hainan, Qiu Zhaotai, Chen Xixi and others. By referencing a series of red-flag cases on negative lists, Chen offered his take on the SJTU Tentative Measures on the Handling of Educator Misconducts. As speculated, conducts considered as in violation of educator work ethics include damaging the authority of central party leadership, harming public interests and the greater good of the nation and the society, posting or re-posting any wrongful opinions or harmful information, on-campus preaching and organizing religious service, violating rules of teaching activities, taking part-time position or partaking paid part-time jobs without any approval that affect the fulfillment of their duties and responsibilities, discriminating, smearing, seeking revenge from students, or engaging in the inappropriate relationship with students, academic misconducts or abuse of power and resources for personal gains, playing favouritism, taking bribes in money and in kind from students and their relatives, and engaging in fraudulent acts in admission and review, abusing public resources in name of the university for personal gains, and other conducts causing damage. Chen also exemplified several common cases of academic misconducts with insights gained from practice.

In the follow-up session, as Chen took questions from the audience, he also reminded fellows and postdocs of the significance of sound habit-building efforts to ward off pitfalls. As participants expressed their gratitude for meaningful takeaways and benefits from the real-life case-filled talk, it is crucial to stay humble and keep learning for self-betterment as educators and to follow protocols against misconduct.