Graduation is a time for students to celebrate their accomplishments and thank those who played a role in their achievements. However, one person had other agenda.
In a video captured last Wednesday (June 19), students at a Chinese university are seen taking turns to their degrees on stage.
A male student suddenly punches a professor in the face, before fleeing the scene. The blow knocked off the professor’s spectacles and mortarboard.
Scroll down for video.
According to media reports, the incident took place at Fudan University in Shanghai.
The professor sustained minor injuries, and his attacker, a Taiwanese student surnamed Hsia, has since been arrested.
While the motive behind the attack is unknown, students at the university are speculating that Hsia had intended to punch the dean but mistakenly targeted the wrong person.
Alumni of the university revealed that Hsia had been critical of the school on social media, saying his parents had forced him to study in Shanghai.
In a statement made the following day, the university stated that an in-depth investigation is underway and that appropriate measures will be taken based on the findings.
Earlier this year, Hsia had been shortlisted as a candidate for the prestigious Peking University Health Science Center (BJMU) master’s degree programme. However, he was held back as he was undergoing an ‘ideological and moral assessment’.
In response to the incident, BJMU released a statement last Friday (June 21) emphasising its focus on cultivating students with moral integrity.
It also added that candidates with criminal convictions and improper behaviour would not be considered for enrollment.