Yingyi Ma Cited in Nature Article on the Future of Science in the US

November 19, 2024

Nature

Yingyi Ma

Sociology Department

Center for Policy Research

East Asia Program

China

Education

Government

International Affairs

Nature

Yingyi Ma

The results of this year's pivotal election will shape the future of U.S. science, as will rising international competition and domestic concerns. Some scientific leaders worry that the nation is ceding ground to other research powerhouses, notably China, which is already outpacing the United States on many of the leading science metrics.

One key question is whether the U.S. will remain the preferred place for researchers globally to study and work, as it relies heavily on international talent to fuel its scientific engine.

Although Chinese-student enrollment at U.S. universities has rebounded since the pandemic, China’s best and brightest might be shying away, says Yingyi Ma, professor of sociology. Soaring anti-China rhetoric probably plays a part, she says, but so do expanding opportunities for Chinese graduate students at home, and the growing challenges to obtain work visas.

Read more in the Nature article, “The US is the world’s science superpower — but for how long?”