The source of the story can be found on youtube and also here. This is the story as Han Xin tells it:
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This is the latest video that introduces my serious PhD issue (bullying, intimidation, coercion, discrimination, and retaliation by PhD promoter Prof. Zofia Lukszo) at Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands My name is Hanxin Zhao, a PhD candidate from TU Delft.
Bullying, intimidation, coercion, discrimination, and retaliation by PhD promoter Prof. Zofia Lukszo at Delft University of Technology
Hanxin Zhao
I could have finished the PhD timely in 4 years, but during the PhD, for many times, I was forced to work by the promoter (Prof.Zofia Lukszo), which caused 2 years delay (also in a self-funded situation). Now I have sufficiently met requirement for graduation (with 4 Q1-ranked journal paper published, few PhDs can achieve in the faculty), shockingly, I didn’t get PhD degree after 6 years effort/time paid, but suffered the retaliation from the promoter by terminating my PhD for failing to reach the minimum requirement.
With 4 Q1-ranked journal paper published, few PhDs can achieve in the faculty
The issue involves many scandals, and I hereby report it to the public and hope to get answers from TU Delft for the below questions:
1. A PhD supervised by the same promoter graduated with only 1 Q3-ranked (MDPI journals) journal paper. I have 4 Q1-ranked (highest rank) journal paper published, the academic level which few PhDs in the TPM faculty can reach. I should have obtained the PhD degree as an excellent PhD. Shockingly, my PhD was terminated for failing to reach the minimum requirement (in the condition that promoter cannot point out any essential problems in my PhD thesis)! I wonder if this involves discrimination?
2. I could have finished the PhD in 4 years. But in the 4th year, the promoter changed my research direction for the 3rd paper in the condition that I was not funded by supervisors/university (informed otherwise I should find other places to do PhD). This led to the abort of my in-progress research and 1 year PhD delay (self-funded). I wonder if the practice involves bullying, intimidation and coercion?
3. In the 5th year, the promoter forced me to depict her unreasonable request (additional work) as my own plan/intention other than her comments in the Yearly Review Form submitted to the Graduate School. The workload is similar to writing another journal paper, which means I can hardly finish the PhD even in 5 years(in a self-funded situation)! I wonder if this involves signing contract with coercion? – an activity which is completely illegal, and maybe a Crime of Forcing Deal!
Signing contract with coercion
5. After the compromise/agreement of continuing my PhD without replacing supervisors, a week later, the co-promoter forced me to leave the Netherlands in 1 month by Jan 1 2024. But only immigration office takes charge of my stay in the Netherlands. Also she wrote the mail in Dutch in the condition that all other receivers are Dutch but all speak English, but I don’t speak Dutch. I wonder if her practice involves abuse of power and discrimination?
Terminating my PhD for failing to reach the minimum requirement
6. When I requested to replace supervisors from Aug-Nov 2023, the TPM faculty informed me they cannot find other alternatives and persuade me to continue the PhD with supervisors, as the promoter can approve my PhD thesis in 3 weeks based on her estimation on my PhD thesis version in Aug 2023! After I agreed with not replacing supervisors, and spent extra 2.5 months on further revising the PhD thesis, she decided to terminate my PhD for failing to reach the minimum requirement (and in the condition that she cannot point out any essential problems in my thesis). I wonder if the practice involves deception and retaliation?
7. After I didn’t agree with leaving the Netherlands before Jan 2024, I find that I have been followed and monitored, and my room has been frequently trespassed by strangers. Some stalkers had admitted their activities, and these have seriously infringed my privacy and safety! As I am only a foreign student without any conflicts with people outside the school, I wonder if this has to do with the PhD issue?
I have been followed and monitored, and my room has been frequently trespassed by strangers
Hanxin Zhao
Hanxin Zhao, Jan 19 2025
During the PhD, I have 4 Q1-ranked (top-tier) journal papers published, plus 1 conference paper, 80+ citations in total. My publications can be checked on Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Yzi2RCUAAAAJ
Feb 25 2025:
So far, there’s neither an investigation nor a response to the 7 questions about this serious issue from TU Delft, after repeatedly reporting to them for 1.5 years.
Meanwhile, it seems someones are trying to silence me, as most of my social media accounts are blocked, and recently, I find many Youtube COMMENTS are DELETED!
Now, I reported it to the Inspectorate of Education (Ministry of Education of the Netherlands) requesting for an immediate investigation on this issue. Let’s see if it works, this time. And normally they can process and give the result in 1 week.
I will keep updating here, and on X: @H_X_Zhao, @Han_Xin_Zhao (this one is restricted to some extent).
Feb 17 2025:
These days, in addition to ignoring the serious PhD issue, TU Delft put a series of interview videos on Youtube, where the selected students discussed communication, dealing with pressure, failure, criticism positively. Also, another two-person conversion on Youtube tried to mislead audience by giving a false interpretation of my video.
To those who want to shirk responsibility:
1. From Aug-Nov 2023 when I requested to replace supervisors, the TPM facluty persuaded me to continue PhD with supervisors saying that they cannot find alternatives and that’s the fastest way to finish my PhD (promoter promised to approve my thesis in 3 weeks). In Jan-Feb 2024, when the promoter broke her promise and even decided to terminate my PhD, I felt I was completely cheated! If there is miscommunication between me and supervisors, then what about the TPM faculty? Are they lack of communication skills?
2. It makes no sense to overly stress communication. An example: if supervisors don’t allow students to graduate in 10 years, should students always obey, compromise? Of course not! The problem was not that I didn’t discuss with or listen to supervisors, but compromised and complied with their orders too much, and was repeatedly cheated! The point is that: there are regulations (correction mechanism) to deal with this kind of issues at the university level, and universities are responsible to take steps based on these regulations they enacted. But why there’s no valid action carried out (at least an investigation) for the past 1 year at TU Delft?
3. When awarding a PhD Degree, it ONLY because the student’s ability and quality of the research meet the criterion, which is the goal of Doctoral Education. My research has been highly recognized by having 4 papers published in top-tier journals in the world. But it was depreciated at TU Delft, and PhDs with much less/less significant research done are awarded PhD degrees here. It’s not a failure of my PhD/research, it’s a failure of the management!
Again, there MUST be an INVESTIGATION for this serious PhD issue, people who committed wrongdoings MUST be held ACCOUNTABLE. If this issue cannot be addressed properly, I’m sure there would be more victims in the future!
Besides, I find many of my replies and comments I replied to are deleted, pls note that I didn’t do that.
We shared this again hopefully we can see your issue solved as soon as possible! Please keep us updated on your situation!