Education University PhD student gets 160 hours of community service over doctored reference
A mainland Chinese woman has been handed a 160-hour community service order after pleading guilty to forging a reference letter for her application to a doctoral programme at a Hong Kong university. Li Zuer, who faced a charge of obtaining services by deception, appeared at the Fanling Magistrates’ Courts on Monday. The court heard earlier […]
Li Zuer, a PhD student at the Education University of Hong Kong, has been ordered to complete 160 hours of community service after pleading guilty to forging a reference letter for her application. The incident occurred after she had previously been denied admission to the university's doctoral program. In a bid to secure a spot, Li allegedly enlisted the services of an agent to alter a reference letter written by her former master's degree professor, Ho Wai-yip.
The manipulated letter, dated March 2024, claimed that Li's academic performance was exceptional, despite her previous admission stating a need for improvement in her English proficiency. The revised letter was intended to give the impression that Li's qualifications were superior to those of other applicants. Following her guilty plea for obtaining services through deception, Fanling Magistrates' Courts imposed the sentence.
Magistrate Kenneth Chan noted the gravity of the offense, warning that Li's actions could deprive another applicant of their opportunity for enrollment. However, the judge also acknowledged Li's strong academic record and her commitment to teaching, ultimately deciding to sentence her to community service rather than imprisonment.
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