- Fields Medalist Ngo Bao Chau is leaving the US after 15 years due to dissatisfaction
- He will join the University of Hong Kong in June to foster Asia as a science hub
- Ngo aims to make Asia a top center for science and mathematics research and collaboration
Fields Medalist Ngo Bao Chau, a renowned mathematician, has decided to leave the United States after 15 years, citing his dissatisfaction with the country's declining academic culture and current political climate, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported. Professor Ngo, recipient of the 2010 Fields Medal, is going to join the University of Hong Kong in June. His decision is also driven by his vision to transform Asia into a hub for science and mathematics.
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"I want Asia to be the next America or the next Europe, a place where science and mathematics strive," he said while speaking during an interview on the university's campus. "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."
"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."
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What did he say about US universities?
Professor Ngo, who has been teaching at the University of Chicago since 2010, expressed his disappointment with the US, stating that "many things that I do not like" are happening, particularly regarding visa issues and treatment of international students.
"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."
Professor Ngo, who earned global recognition for his groundbreaking proof of the fundamental lemma in the Langlands Programme, emphasised the importance of creating an environment where people can focus on scholarship and knowledge without hindrance.
