【By Observer Net, Qi Qian】

This June, 35-year-old New Yorker Stephen Ferguson entered a meeting room in Shenzhen and was surprised to find that 50 representatives from China's top research institutions - the Chinese Academy of Sciences - were eager to hear him share his experience working here. These representatives hope to build a first-rate research environment and wanted to get useful advice from Ferguson.

Ferguson had only been to China once before, but he was recruited as a biology researcher to work in China in 2023.

Ferguson believes that it is significant that the representatives were willing to listen to "the opinion of an ordinary person from the United States." He said, "I feel like I'm in a real environment that promotes scientific development, where the scientific field is booming and attracting a large number of talents. They make it easy to say 'willing'." This is indeed the case, and Ferguson is not the only American scientist who has accepted the invitation.

"Why is Trump cutting research funding a big win for China?" On November 6, the U.S. Washington Post published an article stating that after President Trump took office, he cut funds and restricted immigration, causing many U.S. scholars to leave; at the same time, China is attracting talents in the U.S., especially in the STEM (four letters representing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields.

Some U.S. scholars mentioned that during their visits and work in China, they heard people joke: "We hope Trump remains president forever because that's the best thing for Chinese science."

Distribution of research areas among Chinese-American scholars leaving the U.S., with STEM being the main proportion. Washington Post map

The article mentions that over the past decade, many scholars, especially those with Chinese backgrounds, have crossed the Pacific to go to China. Trump's return to the White House further accelerated this trend. He cut billions of dollars in research funding, canceled some funding for top U.S. universities, revoked international student visas, and significantly increased the fees for high-skilled H-1B visas.

According to data from Princeton University in the U.S., about 50 Chinese-American tenured or tenure-track scholars returned to China in the first half of this year, and more than 850 scholars have left the U.S. since 2011.

Data also shows that more than 70% of the scholars who left the U.S. are working in the STEM fields, with the most significant loss in engineering and life sciences.

Both Chinese and American scientists agree that this migration of scientific talent will have a major impact on the global research ecology and Sino-U.S. technological competition, weakening the U.S. competitive advantage, and the next vaccine or artificial intelligence model is more likely to come from China. Jimmy Goodrich, a scholar at the University of California, said: "The U.S. is increasingly skeptical about science... while in China, science is seen as the key solution to the country's future."

The article states that the reduction in U.S. research funding and strict scrutiny of Chinese-American scientists have helped China attract top talent and consolidate its position as a global scientific center. Professor Zhao Yongsheng from the University of International Business and Economics pointed out: "Whoever controls the talent will ultimately control the future of the world."

The Washington Post introduced that although the U.S. still has appeal as a long-term global research center, China is rapidly catching up.

According to data from the American Association for the Advancement of Science, 20 years ago, the U.S. research and development expenditure was almost four times that of China; but by 2023, the total R&D spending by the U.S. government and private sector was $95.6 billion, slightly higher than China's $91.7 billion.

China is catching up in research spending. Washington Post map

The article points out that China's economic incentive measures, as well as patriotic sentiments, are attracting Chinese-American scientists to return home.

But at the same time, some people feel that the U.S. government seems to be actively expelling scientists. In 2018, Trump launched the notorious "China Initiative" during his first term. After several years, Chinese-American scholars in the U.S. still feel worried and walk on eggshells.

Jonathan Kagan, an immunologist at Harvard Medical School, recalled that this May, when he attended a conference in Suzhou, he heard someone even joke: "We hope Trump remains president forever because that's the best thing for Chinese science."

Charles Lieber (second from left) officially joined Tsinghua University in April. Tsinghua University International Graduate School

The U.S. expels, and China attracts. Under this push and pull, not only those with Chinese family backgrounds are affected.

For example, Charles Lieber, a nanoscientist at Harvard and one of the leading figures in international nanotechnology, was persecuted by the U.S. government due to the "China Initiative," and joined Tsinghua University in April this year as a full-time faculty member at the Tsinghua University Shenzhen International Graduate School (SIGS).

The article says that Shenzhen is the core of China's scientific ambitions. From a fishing village to a tech metropolis, Shenzhen has attracted global researchers with its advanced research facilities, expanding university campuses, and proximity to innovative companies such as Huawei.

Professor Ouyang Zheng, Dean of the Tsinghua University Shenzhen International Graduate School, once stated that Shenzhen is the "intersection" and "new industrial engine" of education and cutting-edge industries. The school aims to power this engine and continues to attract many scholars with overseas experience. According to the introduction, about 80% of the faculty members of the Shenzhen International Graduate School have overseas teaching or research experience.

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Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7569827014635438633/

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