1m yuan rewards for papers in top journal spark debate

Universities' generosity questioned as emphasis on publications tuned down

Reports that teams led by two Chinese mainland professors have each been awarded 1 million yuan ($138,000) for publishing papers in Nature, a leading international science journal, have sparked heated discussion in academic circles.

While some said universities have the right to reward scholars in any way they want, others questioned whether the practice goes against government efforts to move away from an overemphasis on the publication of papers in academic evaluation.

According to media reports, Zhu Jiapeng, a professor at Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, and his team were given 1 million yuan by the university for publishing a paper in Nature. They became the first people from the university to publish a paper in the journal in 70 years.