Someone's applying Kirchoff's Laws to fans in the wrong way. Batteries in series should double the voltage; fans in series should roughly double the static pressure (not the flow). I don't think fans will follow Kirchoff's Laws exactly but will approximate them (voltage being pressure and current being flow). I agree with you and think your advisor might need to remediate. I think you would get some increase in flow due to lower static pressures across each fan, but not a proportional amount (i.e., a 25-50% increase, variable based on fan curves, fan type, and the system in which they are installed).