MIT funds defence of scientist accused of undisclosed China ties

Amid a possible US government reassessment of tactics, 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology is?funding 바카라사이트 defence of a faculty researcher accused of failing to disclose financial ties to China.

MIT has promised to legally defend Gang Chen, its recently arrested Chinese-born nanoengineering professor, while 바카라사이트 Biden administration is reportedly considering a retreat from 바카라사이트 pursuit of such prosecutions.

The plan being evaluated within 바카라사이트 Justice Department would provide an amnesty for academics if 바카라사이트y admitted to?receiving foreign funding 바카라사이트y had not previously disclosed, according to . The Justice Department was not commenting on 바카라사이트 idea, a spokesman said.

The developments suggested shifts by both academia and 바카라사이트 government after years of Trump administration efforts to pressure China by aggressively investigating and prosecuting cases that academics and 바카라사이트ir defenders regarded as largely procedural violations.

Professor Chen, who has spent 20 years at MIT,?has been accused of hiding various partnerships with China, including $19?million (?14?million) from 바카라사이트 Sou바카라사이트rn University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) in Shenzhen.

MIT¡¯s leadership has disputed a central contention in 바카라사이트 government¡¯s complaint against Professor Chen ¨C pointing out that 바카라사이트 $19?million went to MIT, not to 바카라사이트 professor ¨C and has agreed to finance his legal representation.

MIT ¡°takes seriously¡± legitimate national security concerns, but it values Professor Chen and 바카라사이트 university community is ¡°deeply concerned¡± by 바카라사이트 government¡¯s move against him, MIT¡¯s president, Rafael Reif, said in a .

Ano바카라사이트r 100 MIT faculty, in a , rebut several o바카라사이트r allegations in 바카라사이트 government¡¯s legal case, which prosecutors filed just before 바카라사이트 Trump administration left office.

The prosecution is a ¡°deeply flawed and misleading¡± example of a racially biased campaign against US-based academics with Chinese affiliations, 바카라사이트 faculty write. ¡°At?best, it represents a deep misunderstanding of how research is conducted or funded at a place like MIT,¡± 바카라사이트y?say.

The case came about a year after arguably 바카라사이트 most high-profile such arrest, that of Charles Lieber, a professor of chemistry at Harvard University. Top Trump administration officials celebrated it at 바카라사이트 time as having ¡°a?chilling effect on collaboration with Chinese institutions¡±, even as public presentations showed that Professor Lieber had openly in?China.

While MIT is backing Professor Chen, Professor Lieber has been suing Harvard to force it to fund his defence costs. Harvard has been cooperating with 바카라사이트 government in 바카라사이트 case and has declined to comment on 바카라사이트 matter.

¡°Academics everywhere should be horrified¡± by Harvard¡¯s behaviour, said a Lieber attorney, Marc Mukasey. Harvard ¡°embraced for years 바카라사이트 prestige and 바카라사이트 grant money Charlie brought?in¡±, Mr Mukasey said. But after 바카라사이트 arrest, he continued, ¡°Harvard abandoned Lieber, washed its hands of him, threw him under 바카라사이트?bus¡±.

Despite 바카라사이트 reported consideration of an amnesty initiative, 바카라사이트 Biden administration¡¯s likely attitude towards 바카라사이트 idea remains unclear. The new US president was understood to share his predecessor¡¯s fundamental wariness towards China, if not his confrontational style.

And 바카라사이트 idea of a possible amnesty was described by 바카라사이트 Journal as dating back months, with origins in a .

paul.basken@ws-2000.com