A university professor who died saving a student last summer was officially recognized as a martyr by the Shanghai city government on Monday. Relatives of He Baogen, vice dean of Shanghai Normal University's geography department, were presented with a martyr's certificate by officials of the Minhang District Civil Affairs Bureau on Monday. University officials said that they were also planning to erect a statue of He Baogen on the campus later this year. "We've been asking the whole faculty to learn from Professor He's respect and love for his students over the past six months," said Zhou Honggang, the university chancellor. "He will be an elite teacher model for all of us." He Baogen, 45, was conducting a field research program with a team of undergraduate students in suburban Chongming County last August when they were suddenly surrounded by a rising tide.He managed to grab a trapped student and pull him out of danger but in doing so was swept away by the tide. Since August, hundreds of news reports, pictures and opinions of He's story have been published throughout the country. At Monday's ceremony, representatives of local residents gave He's family a collection of the media coverage.
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