After being fired for Chinese democracy support, David Xia Yeliang seeks job at US universities

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Wellesley College may hire professor fired from partner university in China allegedly for advocating for democracy, freedom

Wellesley College is considering hiring a professor who made headlines recently when he was recently fired by a university in China, allegedly because he spoke out in favor of democracy and individual freedom.

A formal invitation has not yet been extended, but the college is moving forward with a possible appointment of professor David Xia Yeliang as a visiting fellow in Wellesley’s Freedom Project, which includes a focus on the concept of freedom in different societies, campus spokeswoman Sofiya Cabalquinto said.

While the circumstances of Professor Xia’s contract non-renewal with Peking University and his academic record may be in dispute, his credentials as an advocate of academic freedom and human rights are solid Cabalquinto said in an emailed statement. It is Xia’s experience as a practitioner of dissent that fits well with the work of the Freedom Project. The exchange of diverse ideas, perspectives, and experiences is at the heart of the liberal arts, and Wellesley is committed to fostering that exchange.

See more at the original posting from boston.com by Matt Rocheleau. a Town Correspondent.