The authors examined data that shows the flow of students and researchers between the two countries has declined sharply in recent years, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictive visa policies.
“If these communities are further separated from each other, the flow of discoveries will slow and scientists will be less equipped to respond collectively to crises,” write Victor, professor of innovation and public policy, and his co-authors.
The comment comes days before the Trump administration takes office, and while the new administration is expected to implement policies that could weaken U.S.-China collaboration, the U.S. position is to be tougher on China is the result of a decade-long bipartisan effort. .
The authors examined data that shows the flow of students and researchers between the two countries has declined sharply in recent years, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictive visa policies.
For example, in the 2019-2020 academic year, the United States welcomed nearly 400,000 Chinese students. These numbers fell to less than 300,000 in 2021-22 and have remained stagnant since.
U.S. student exchanges with China peaked in 2012-2013 with nearly 15,000 U.S. students going abroad, but those numbers fell precipitously and were below 1,000 in 2022-2023.