Chinese netizens have scrambled to donate money to a murder suspect who allegedly killed a party secretary at Fudan University’s Institute of Mathematics in Shanghai.

The bizarre phenomenon came after the university’s management last week published six eulogies for the victim — Wang Yongzhen, a representative assigned by the ruling Chinese Communist Party to oversee the mathematics institute — after he was allegedly killed by the 39-year-old researcher Jiang Wenhua on June 7.

In the eulogies, the propaganda department said the institute was saddened by Wang’s death, expressed extreme indignation at Jiang and described him as being “dehumanized.” The department also condemned netizens for spreading speculation and making inappropriate comments.

The move angered the netizens, with some starting to call on others to donate money to Jiang instead of Wang. “Teacher Jiang was the tragedy,” one said.

“The secretary is no expert in mathematics, but he can determine [Jiang’s] academic standing and decide his stay [at Fudan.] How ridiculous is that,” another posted on social media.

Although the initial social media account that called for donations to Jiang was permanently censored by authorities, the post had been read more than 100,000 times with more than 50,000 people leaving a comment.

The police have yet to announce Jiang’s exact motive, but the researcher, who obtained his doctorate degree in the United States, has aroused wide-ranging sympathy on the internet after he failed to obtain a long-term contract at Fudan.

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