One of the world’s top mathematicians has decided to leave the United States after 15 years, moving base to Hong Kong instead. Fields Medalist Ngo Bao Chau said his decision to quit the US was rooted in the country’s declining academic culture and the current political climate. He also said he wanted to see Asia transform into the next powerhouse for maths and science.
In a piece published in the South China Morning Post, Ngo, who has been teaching at the University of Chicago since 2010, said that “many things” he did not like were happening in the US.
Asia as the next power centre
“I want Asia to be the next America or the next Europe [as] a place where science and mathematics strive,” said the 54-year-old in an interview.
“I believe that Asia and China … have a unique opportunity to grow to be one of the [top] places in science and mathematics. I am really eager to participate in that,” added Ngo, who received the prestigious Fields Medal in 2010.
“I really want to be part of the new development of mathematics and science in Asia, and I want Hong Kong to be the connecting dot of Asian mathematics – China, India, Taiwan, Japan, Vietnam, Singapore and so on,” he said.
On leaving the US after 15 years
The mathematician cited the political climate of the US as one of the reasons behind his decision to leave the country.
“Many things that I do not like” are happening in the United States, said Ngo, who holds both Vietnamese and French citizenship.
“American universities have been great institutions where knowledge, discovery and scholarship are cherished. It has been like that for 400 years,” he said.
“People are meant to be well-treated regardless of their race as long as they espouse this vision in scholarship and knowledge. But disheartening things have been happening for visas, for students.”
“I would rather be in a place where I don’t have to deal with or to hear about things that I do not like,” added Ngo.
