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Scientists

Scientists
Latest news and updates on Chinese scientists, including the hundreds of researchers who in recent years have switched affiliations from American universities to institutions in China.
The FBI is investigating a Chinese scientist over the alleged smuggling of biological material. Photo: AP
US-China relations

US arrests another Chinese scientist with no permit to send biological material

Scientist is accused of shipping material to University of Michigan; 2 charged last week over conspiring to smuggle toxic fungus.

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Science

Chinese researcher pathogen case ‘politicised’, risks further US talent exodus

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Science

Is the common fungus Fusarium graminearum an ‘agroterrorism agent’?

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United States

Opinion | Trump’s Harvard blow hits the very freedoms vital to US success

America’s competitive edge depends on its campuses remaining centres of innovation and debate, free to embrace new ideas and diversity.

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People hold up signs during a Harvard Students for Freedom rally in support of international students on the Harvard University campus in Boston, Massachusetts on May 27. Photo: AFP
United States

Opinion | Trump’s attack on science risks dismantling a century of innovation

Restrictive visa policies, rhetoric targeting academic institutions and proposed budget cuts to scientific agencies mark the start of US retreat.

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Science

From underdog to genius: Yale computer scientist Sun Huanbo returns to China

A rising star in robotics has returned to his roots, taking up a post as the new head of a key laboratory.

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Science

Video | What’s behind the exodus of US-based Chinese academics?

The annual net flow of scientific authors into the US dropped by more than two-thirds between 2018 and 2022, while the figure for China surged nearly 80 per cent

Why are more Chinese scientists leaving the US to return to China?
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Science

Top chip designer Sun Nan leaves US and finds ‘room to play’ in China

Tsinghua University highlights professor who has returned to China to train next generation of chip experts and tackle tech problems.

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Science

Prominent computer scientist Chen Jing leaves US to teach in China

Specialist in computational economics brings ‘dual perspective’ after returning to Beijing’s Tsinghua University as a professor.

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Science

China-born biologist Wang Cunyu returns from decades in US to head institute

Wang was recognised by Science magazine in 1996 for his work on cancer cell death.

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Wang Cunyu, a member of the US National Academy of Medicine, left China for the US in 1990. He has returned to develop Peking University’s Institute of Advanced Clinical Medicine. Photo: Handout
SCMP Highlights

7 scientists, mathematicians, physicists and experts who moved to China in 2024

From a Nobel-winning laser scientist to an award-winning mathematician, here are some experts who made the move.

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(From left) Kenji Fukaya, Sun Shao-Cong and Gérard Mourou. Photo: Stony Brook University/MD Anderson Cancer Centre/Weibo/Peking University
Science

Chinese space defence expert Zhang Xiaoxin dies in car crash in Beijing

Zhang, 62, a pioneer in China’s space weather sector, is remembered for his outstanding contribution to monitoring and warning technology.

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Science

Top mathematician says Chinese scientists have no choice but to leave US

Many feel ‘uncomfortable’ because of discrimination, according to Yau Shing-Tung.

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Science

Why are top scientists leaving the West for China?

A growing number of leading academics are being tempted away from Western countries as they make the move to Chinese institutions.

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Star mathematician Sun Song is one of a growing cohort of academics who are leaving the West to take up positions at Chinese universities. Photo: Zhejiang University
Science

Chinese team’s cell turns ambient heat into power – no sunlight required

Researchers say their sealed hydrovoltaic cell could be used in harsh environments like deserts and in the dark.

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Chinese scientists say their hydrovoltaic cell achieved stable electricity output with negligible water consumption, which could make it suitable for extreme environments like deserts. Photo: Xinhua
Science

Scientists increase fighter jet afterburner efficiency to nearly 100%: study

Pioneering technology to improve afterburner efficiency could make the Chinese military unrivalled in air combat.

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Science

China develops first cable winch system that can reach deepest place on Earth

The Haiwei GD11000 can deploy cables to a maximum depth of more than 11,000 metres.

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Drones

‘Recoilless AK-47’ that can be used by most drones built by Chinese scientists

‘Multiple tests have confirmed effectiveness’ of automatic rifle with almost no recoil specifically designed for unmanned warfare.

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Even specialised unmanned weapon platforms or heavily modified drones struggle with the recoil of machine guns, compromising shooting accuracy and versatility. Newly developed rifle offers a solution to these challenges. Photo: Shutterstock
Science

Award-winning mathematician Wang Xujia back in China after decades in Australia

Westlake University in Hangzhou announces Wang has returned to a full-time chair professorship after nearly 30 years overseas.

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Science

Ancient Chinese proved the Pythagorean theorem in 17 characters: mathematician

A leading academic has highlighted China’s rich mathematical history, including a startling fact about a well-known theorem.

Science

For Shanghai-born international maths star Yilin Wang, curiosity adds up

Wang, winner of this year’s prestigious Salem Prize, speaks French, avoids the spotlight, and is ‘not a big fan’ of maths contests.

Yilin Wang is a junior professor at France’s Institut des Hautes Etudes Scientifiques, which supports advanced research in mathematics and theoretical physics. Photo: Handout
Science

China scientists crack oil-water recycling in potential green win for industry

Unlike traditional methods that retrieve one ingredient from an emulsion, study outlines system that saves both.

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Researchers from Zhejiang University in China have written about their new way of separating oil and water emulsions to environmentally acceptable standards. Photo: Shutterstock
China society

China’s netizens warned that shutting down scientists’ views may hobble progress

Renowned scientists such as physicist He Zuoxiu and Fields Medal winner Yau Shing-Tung have been subjected to online attacks.

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Science

Chinese scientists modify tomatoes to make them ‘significantly sweeter’

Glucose and fructose levels were 30 per cent higher after researchers removed two genes that regulate sugar content, according to study.

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Science

Award-winning mathematician Ma Xiaonan leaves Europe for China

The academic will serve as chair professor at Nankai University’s Chern Institute of Mathematics.

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Chinese mathematician Xiaonan Ma is returning to China after decades in Europe to take up a chair professorship at Nankai University in Tianjin. Photo: Wuhan University
Science

Will Chinese scientists make or break the uprising in academic publishing?

A new publishing model is causing ructions in academia, and it could be China who decides the winner.

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A battle is under way in the acedemic publishing world after a journal database delisted a well-known life sciences journal over its new publishing model. Photo: Shutterstock
Science

China’s scientists unveil engine design that could transform hypersonic flight

Tsinghua researchers combine ramjet-based rotor compressor with a detonation engine which they say advances propulsion technology.

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