Facing an increasingly suspicious research climate, a growing number of Chinese scientists are leaving the United States for positions abroad, the latest indicator of how worsening U.S.-China relations are complicating academic collaboration and could hamstring Washington’s tech ambitions.
There’s a bigger picture at play too. China has been making itself attractive for researchers in general. It’s not just Chinese scientists moving back. An increasing number of other scientists are choosing to work in China over the U.S.
In fields where China was pushing it earlier we’re starting to see the results already. There are several fields where a plurality of top tier publications come from China.
What makes america such a bad place for researchers?
No idea if China is better but western academia requires spending 95% of your time playing politics/begging for funding and pays worse than fast food for the first decade or so whilst requiring you to go into debt you will never pay off while everyone around you not-in-academia accuses you of being a woke coastal elite, grooming children, and spreading lies about poor defenseless shell and chevron for profit.
Debt is likely less of an issue here. These are PhDs and they tend to be funded by grants. Students typically pay no tuition and get some stipend for expenses.
Of course, graduating debt free with a PhD in molecular biology from a top program is less exciting when you can’t land a single interview for a junior faculty role.
Industry may pay twice as much but if you love research and China offers you lab space, you’ll consider it.
Immigration policies make it hard for people to stay after finishing their education.
I think it’s primarily two things.
China now graduates almost twice as many STEM PhDs as the US does. A lot of people move after their PhD but they tend to stay in country.
I also think, anecdotally, that new PhDs have a harder time finding a job here.
Overall China just seems to make more effort to attract scientists. They promise, and deliver, the two things scientists care about, funding and academic freedom.