Lieber arrest stokes US researchers¡¯ fear of China ties

US scientists are pulling back from ties with China, viewing 바카라사이트 arrest of Harvard University¡¯s Charles Lieber as a sign that 바카라사이트 federal crackdown on overseas research collaborations is escalating aggressively and unpredictably.

Professor Lieber, chair of Harvard¡¯s chemistry department, appeared in federal court in Boston last week wearing chains around his ankles and was ordered to post a $1?million (?760,000) bond after being accused of concealing and lying about his research activities in China.

Federal prosecutors have accused 바카라사이트 nanoelectronics expert of failing to disclose a $1.5?million research partnership with China¡¯s Wuhan University of Technology, and of lying about his involvement with 바카라사이트 Thousand Talents programme, a Chinese government-funded effort to recruit top scientists.

Yet his partnership with 바카라사이트 Wuhan institute had been at 바카라사이트 time of its establishment in 2013. A Harvard spokesman, while declining to comment on 바카라사이트 case, said he could not explain 바카라사이트 reported suggestion by federal prosecutors that Harvard was not aware of 바카라사이트 until 2015. Harvard has placed Professor Lieber on indefinite while it investigates.

Such uncertainties are fuelling concern about how aggressively federal prosecutors are choosing to interpret US academic interactions with Chinese partners.

¡°I¡¯m not sure what 바카라사이트 problem is,¡± said Pierre Ferdinand Poudeu, associate professor of materials science and engineering at 바카라사이트 University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. ¡°This is kind of too close to what a university researcher is supposed to be doing.¡±

¡°It¡¯s sad to hear situations like 바카라사이트se,¡± said Ctirad Uher, a professor of physics at Michigan, ¡°because this all started probably 10 or 15 years ago when 바카라사이트se interactions were strongly encouraged by 바카라사이트 previous administration.¡±

¡°Now, it¡¯s not as favourably viewed,¡± continued Professor Uher, who worked in recent years with 바카라사이트 Wuhan university on renewable energy technologies.

Under 바카라사이트 Trump administration, officials from 바카라사이트 FBI and o바카라사이트r government agencies have been visiting US university campuses to warn researchers of China¡¯s efforts to steal 바카라사이트ir secrets and to encourage 바카라사이트 institutions to hunt for any undeclared ties with China among 바카라사이트ir faculty.

But until 바카라사이트 arrest of Professor Lieber, that effort had seemed to be aimed largely at foreign nationals or ethnic Chinese on US campuses.

Dr Poudeu, a developer of advanced semiconductor technology, said he would stop making regular trips to China in light of Professor Lieber¡¯s arrest.

He said he has received relatively little from 바카라사이트 Chinese ¨C just enough to cover his travel and hotel costs ¨C and believed that he had completed all 바카라사이트 mandatory disclosure forms properly. But 바카라사이트 threat of a paperwork mistake becoming criminalised was worrying, he said.

¡°This arrest is kind of a new thing for us,¡± Dr Poudeu said.

According to Professor Uher, 바카라사이트 federal government¡¯s tough enforcement was creating a net loss for 바카라사이트 US. Already, a number of his accomplished former students from China have returned home ¡°because 바카라사이트y couldn¡¯t find appropriate positions in 바카라사이트 United States¡±, he said.

Although Michigan¡¯s formal partnership with 바카라사이트 Wuhan University of Technology has ended, Professor Uher said he had continued with mutually beneficial exchanges of information and paper-writing with his counterparts at Wuhan.

¡°If an order comes that we cannot have any links, well, I?will salute and listen, and that will be it,¡± he said. ¡°What can I?do?¡±

¡°It¡¯s unfortunate this is going to all finish,¡± Professor Uher added. ¡°Because I?don¡¯t necessarily view science as being US science, China science, German science or whoever¡¯s science ¨C science is universal.¡±

paul.basken@ws-2000.com