Hacker News Reader

Comment by echevil | Hacker News Reader

Well I guess the first step would be luring Chinese scientists currently in US back to China (many of those have US citizenship and would also be counted as US scientists)

View on HN

I work with lots of Chinese scientists and they say they are never going back. They don't trust Chinese papers or labs at all.

I'm sure there are lots of Chinese scientists that would never go back, but at the same time there're also plenty of Chinese immigrants (including scientists) actually went back or are considering going back when the time is right, including myself. I think overall more people are considering that as a viable option over the years.

Wouldn't there be an implicit bias towards those who don't want to return? The others made their way back to China.

We have only had one leave and go back to China and he was terrible and only here to get the "worked in the USA" seal so he could go back and get a better and higher paying professorship in China.

You would not be able to work with Chinese scientists that goes back. Sampling issue.

It's not necessarily a sampling issue. Of course they could work with scientists that go back. You work with them, then they go back. The implication is clearly that the parent could have already worked with scientists that have gone back and that isn't occuring.

Survivor Bias at play, the ones do go back, go back. I think the mentality among Chinese research community had changed rapidly, especially in Computer Science field, where China is as practical a choice as US.

The problem with US is for foreign nationals, there is a preset role for us to fit in, while in China, it offers more potentials. I won't say certain it is black and white question at this moment, there is trade-off in between. Living in US is no longer the non-brainer

"report bias" seems a better fit here.

If you are taking a sample of Chinese scientists 10 years into their career in the US with kids here, then likely true.

My sample based on my circle of Chinese PhD students that have graduated in the last 5 years indicates a more willingness to go back and several have.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com