In a heart-wrenching incident that has sent shockwaves throughout the academic community, Yifan Liu, a female postdoctoral student specializing in psychology, sadly took her own life on Tuesday, September 12, 2023. This tragedy has left many searching for answers and understanding in its wake.
Yifan Liu, who had been part of the academic world for approximately six months, was known for her cheerful and vibrant personality. Her promising career was tragically cut short. She had joined the prestigious ETH Zurich in March of the same year, leaving her previous teaching position to collaborate with Assistant Professor Fisher Yu.
It is shared on Zhihu website:
“The heroine passed away on September 10th. She came to ETH in March of this year and gave up her teaching position to go to ETH to join Fisher Yu. An optimistic and sunny girl was PUA for half a year and committed suicide by jumping off a building. It is too scary. Everyone must increase their anti-fraud awareness”.
Cao Yue, a PhD student replied,
“It’s really sad to see such news.Since around 2018, I have heard of fisher yu several gossips intermittently, including but not limited to: writing negative comments to students, many students cannot bear to change tutors after studying for PhD, etc.But if those things are said, people may think, “Is there a problem on both sides?” As a result, these things are not widely spread.But looking at it now, ugh. RIP”
Alex B.L., Machine learning practitioner, said:
“The heroine left after being sent away from ETH. Fisher was afraid that something would happen to ETH, so he bought a one-way ticket to send the heroine away. The incident occurred within 2-3 days after the heroine got off the plane.
The heroine went to ETH in March this year, but she disappeared in September. Everyone around her said that she was a motivated and lively girl. It was hard to imagine what happened at ETH that made her decide to commit suicide (it was not an impulsive, immediate decision to make all students change tutors before leaving). I believe there is justice in the world and wait for the official results.
She is a very good researcher, climbing to the academic peak step by step, just like each of us who are on the academic road. She has to read papers, revise student papers, apply for funding, and apply for various awards every day. Can do workshops and tutorials. She has already made a name for herself in her own direction. She is a rising star in the CV field and a role model for many girls. But, it just fell. Her academic experience makes us empathize and envy her, but she encountered such misfortune in life”.
Yifan’s untimely death is shrouded in allegations involving Fisher Yu. Some have claimed that he mistreated students, leaving negative comments in his wake, and engaging in inappropriate relationships with female students. Moreover, there were concerns about Fisher Yu’s performance within the Physics and Astronomy (PUA) community. These circumstances have cast a somber pall over the academic environment at ETH Zurich.
Fisher Yu, a prominent figure in the fields of computer vision and machine learning, completed his doctoral studies at Princeton University and pursued his research at the University of California, Berkeley, as a postdoctoral researcher. Currently, he holds the position of assistant professor at ETH Zurich, Switzerland.
Within ETH Zurich, Fisher Yu leads the Visual Intelligence and Systems Group under the Computer Vision Lab. His primary focus is the development of perceptual systems capable of tackling complex tasks under challenging conditions. His research spans across various domains, including robotics, computer vision, and machine learning, with an emphasis on bridging the gap between strategic planning and operational execution.
The family of Yifan Liu plans to announce her obituary and funeral details at a later time. They are presently taking the necessary time to cope with their profound loss and begin the healing process. When they are ready to share information regarding her funeral arrangements, they will provide updates accordingly.
