Chen Gang (; 1977 – March 23, 2011) was a lecturer at the Hefei University of Technology, located in Anhui province in central China. Chen killed himself by jumping out of a 12th-story window in a campus building on March 23, 2011, after he found out he had lost out to a rival to become the next Communist Youth League leader at the university. In Chen's suicide note, he asserted that the selection process was unfair and riddled with corruption, and accused the university's top leaders of collusion. Chen's case gained national notoriety. Chen's family attempted to blame Chen's suicide on the university administration, while the university leadership refused to acknowledge any responsibility.
Background
Chen Gang was born in 1977 to an ordinary rural family near the city of Laiwu in Shandong province. His father died when he was eleven years old. Chen took part in Gaokao and was admitted to the Hefei University of Technology (HUT) around 1994. He majored in geological exploration and graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1998. Chen remained in academia after graduating, first serving as a teaching assistant, then pursuing a master's degree in computer science. He then obtained a doctorate in management science so he could carve out a career path in public administration and government.
Chen had long served as a lecturer for the faculty of computer science at the university. While HUT was not well known when Chen first enrolled, by 2011, HUT had become the second most highly ranked university in Anhui province, next only to the University of Science and Technology of China, and joined the list of the Project 211 "elite universities". Chen spent his entire career at HUT, with the exception of a short stint in 2010 on secondment to Southeast University in Nanjing.
Beginning in January 2008, Chen took on the role of deputy secretary of the Communist Youth League organization at HUT, becoming the youngest official to have climbed to that rank on the administrative ladder at HUT. During the selection process for the position, it was said that Chen's public speaking skills were what ultimately won the day for him. During his tenure at the Youth League, he was praised for his work ethic. The Communist Youth League was generally seen as a "training ground" for cadres in preparation for prominent positions in the Communist Party of China, and therefore a career in government. Chen had been a member of the Communist Party since 1996. Many senior leaders in the highest echelons of political power in China had experience as Youth League leaders in their respective alma maters. In 2011, Chen stood for election for the Youth League leader (known as a "Secretary" or shuji) position at HUT. The Communist Youth League secretary position at the university carried with it the benefits of a chuji () official, that is, a division-level administrative ranking similar to that of a county governor or an administrative head of a municipal district. Achieving this status at the age of 34 was considered a rare feat.
Selection for Youth League leader
In mid-2010, Chen was evaluated for an associate professor position at the university, but failed to make the cut. Chen was sorely disappointed at his failure to advance and told his wife he "might as well go home and farm for a living". According to Chen's wife, he was disappointed not in the promotion per se, but more because it was not clear how the promotion process operated, and that the selection criteria seemed to change every year depending on the whims of individuals rather than on a quantitatively measurable process. Ultimately, he was convinced to stay. In early March 2011, Chen was nominated for promotion to the Youth League secretary position at HUT. His chief rival was one Chen Wen'en (陈文恩; born December 1977, no relation), who worked as the head of the administrative office in charge of a local campus of HUT.