Dozens of scientists and experts have left the United States and Britain to pursue their careers in China this year, citing several reasons including insufficient funding and a lack of opportunities for Chinese academics to lead projects in the West.
We have put together ten of them whose stories resonated with our readers. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.
1. ‘Impossible for Chinese’: Yale scientist Zhang Kai leaves US for China
For Zhang Kai, a pioneering scientist who is building an ultra-large-scale cellular structure group data bank with unprecedented precision, returning home to China was the natural choice to fulfil his ambition.
2. Energy scientist Chen Peipei leaves Cambridge to build her own lab in Hong Kong
For some early-career scientists, the prestige of British academia is being marred by shrinking research funding and a complex geopolitical climate, prompting top-tier talent to look elsewhere for stability and resources.
3. Nobel-winning scientist Omar Yaghi joins China’s Tsinghua University from the US
Omar Yaghi, the winner of last year’s Nobel Prize for chemistry, has joined China’s Tsinghua University to lead a new AI-driven research centre.
4. Chinese black hole-hunting scientist Dai Liang quits US for Shanghai post
A physicist who was awarded a fellowship reserved for the “brightest young scientists” in the US and Canada for his work hunting for black holes has returned to China.
5. Rising star chip scientist Jiang Jianfeng leaves MIT for Peking University
