Why Are Students and Scientists Increasingly Attracted to China?

Due to America’s stringent immigration policies, visa difficulties, and high educational expenses, African students are increasingly drawn to China for higher education. International scientists and Nobel laureates are also affiliating with China, influenced by research budget cuts and geopolitical dynamics forcing them to leave the US and the UK. The significant investment by Chinese universities in scientific research and their improved international rankings have successfully attracted top talents worldwide.

15 Shrawan, Kathmandu. International students once viewed US colleges as gateways to world-class education and promising careers. However, changing US immigration policies, stringent visa requirements, and ICE interventions have compelled many to reconsider their options. Kunle Adeyemi, 23, recalls the disappointment when the US embassy in Lagos denied him a student visa last year. A year later, he views this setback as a blessing. Speaking to South China Morning Post from Nigeria’s commercial capital, he said, ‘I decided to study in China instead. It’s affordable, the quality is good, and trade between Africa and China is increasing. That means many opportunities.’

The US has tightened entry procedures for African students, prompting many from the continent to pursue higher education in China. Anti-immigration policies introduced during Donald Trump’s second term further increased barriers to the US. Before Trump’s tenure, Nigeria sent the highest number of students to the US, being Africa’s most populous country. In the 2023-24 academic year, over 20,000 Nigerian students were enrolled in American institutions. According to the New York-based Institute of International Education (IIE), Ghana hosted over 9,000, Kenya about 4,500, Ethiopia around 3,000, and South Africa 2,800 students in the US during the same period.

Under Trump’s directives, regulations for African students seeking F-1 visas tightened. Citizens from more than half of African countries face travel bans to the US. The number of visa application centers on the continent has dropped from over 50 to 20, forcing many applicants to travel to other countries for interviews. African students report high visa rejection rates, and those who obtain visas often get short-term ones, complicating travel. Additionally, the high costs of studying in the US pose significant challenges, with public universities averaging $29,000 annually and private institutions charging up to $67,000.

Many African countries remain on Trump’s travel ban list. Reports this year indicate immigration authorities have stalled processing student documents. Students from banned countries face difficulties renewing visas or obtaining study-related work permits. A new rule effective from September 15 will replace a policy in place since 1978, removing provisions for indefinite stays by international students. Homeland Security Secretary Mark Vito Mulvaney announced on July 16, ‘Allowing foreign students to stay indefinitely exploited the immigration system. The entire system will now be managed with clear and fixed limits.’

These recent measures, combined with high US tuition, are pushing many prospective students to consider China. According to China’s Ministry of Education, in 2010 there were 265,090 international students from 194 countries in China. This number increased to 380,000 from 191 countries in the 2024-25 academic year. African students accounted for about 15% of this total in 2010, rising to 16.2% in 2024-25, making Africa the second-largest source behind Europe’s 15.6%. Growing interest in Chinese education suggests these numbers will continue rising.

Chinese universities have shown remarkable progress in international rankings. Early this year, the Centre for Science and Technology Studies at Leiden University in the Netherlands released a scientific impact ranking, with two Chinese universities ranking ahead of Harvard University. Zhejiang University held first place, Shanghai Jiao Tong University second, and Harvard third. The report assessed over 1,500 universities worldwide that had at least 100 scientific publications between 2020 and 2023. Senior Chinese universities occupied spots from fourth to ninth.

The Sino-African Union Education Institute plays an active role in connecting African students interested in studying in China. It is committed to fostering bilateral educational exchanges between Chinese and African colleges. Last year, the institute’s team visited over 20 colleges in Ghana, providing information about educational opportunities in China. For decades, educational consultants focused on Europe and North America are now turning toward China. The China for Education Consultancy in Yaoundé, Cameroon, notes that many Chinese university courses are taught in English and offer scholarships in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

It’s not just students; dozens of scientists and experts are leaving the US and the UK this year due to budget shortfalls and limited leadership opportunities in the West, choosing China instead. These researchers hail from Yale, Cambridge, MIT, and Berkeley. Nobel laureate Omar Yaghi joined China’s Tsinghua University after receiving the 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He will lead a new AI-driven research center. His move comes amid US science budget cuts during the Trump administration. China is attracting international scientists by providing substantial funding. Tsinghua University hosted an appointment ceremony honoring Dr. Yaghi as one of the world’s leading chemists. This new role is seen as an opportunity to inject greater energy and momentum into science.

A budget analyst at the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington DC, Alessandra Zimmerman, states, ‘China is increasing its investment in overall science, surpassing the US in chemistry.’ Last year, three of the six Nobel Prize winners in the US were foreign-born. Since 2000, immigrants have contributed to 40% of Nobel Prizes in physics, chemistry, and medical sciences awarded to the US.

Professor Ram Seshadri of the University of California, Santa Barbara, says Dr. Yaghi’s move underscores the shifting dynamics between the two countries. ‘China has overtaken us in many areas of materials science and chemistry. They are prepared to invest heavily to attract new talent.’ Before flying to Stockholm for his Nobel Prize, Dr. Yaghi expressed concerns in a New York Times interview about Trump administration immigration policies, saying these jeopardize scientific excellence. On Trump’s nationalism, he remarked, ‘People from diverse backgrounds enrich this field. It’s a remarkable story that can drive progress for America and the world.’

Other leading scientists returning to China from top US and UK institutions include Zhang Kai, who is establishing the Cellular Structure Group Data Bank. He views returning home as a natural choice to fulfill his ambitions. Energy scientist Chen Peipei is leaving Cambridge to set up her own lab in Hong Kong. Due to limited research funding and complex geopolitical circumstances, British academia’s reputation is weakening, forcing top talents to look elsewhere.

Younger scientists are also going back to China. Physicist Dai Liang, a recipient of fellowships for young talent in the US and Canada and recognized for black hole research, now holds a position in Shanghai. Rising chip scientist Jiang Jianfeng left MIT for Peking University. While becoming a doctoral visiting supervisor typically takes 8–10 years post-PhD, Jiang achieved this in just 18 months, considering a return to China a natural choice.

Top experts in neurobiology and AI have also decided to leave the US. Renowned neurobiologist and former taekwondo captain Chi-Hying Su, who researches fruit flies’ and mosquitoes’ olfactory abilities, has moved from UC San Diego to the Shenzhen Academy of Medical Sciences (SMART). Ling Haibin, creator of the world’s first mobile plant identification app and an AI researcher, left his position in the US to take a full-time role at Westlake University in Hangzhou, Eastern China. Leading North American computer vision scientist Liang Jie also returned to China, having previously developed critical technologies at Microsoft.

Prize-winning memory chip specialists have left the University of California, Irvine, to join leading conductive materials companies in Eastern China. Experts in automobile and power engineering are likewise returning. Leading electric motor specialist Ju Ziqiang, after 38 years in the UK, now works at Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Meanwhile, as the US and Europe maintain strict visa regulations, rigorous immigration scrutiny, and ongoing research budget cuts, China offers rapidly increasing government investment, state-of-the-art laboratories, and attractive scholarships to draw top scientists and millions of international students globally. These contrasting dynamics have prompted many to leave Western countries and head to China, seeking better academic and professional futures.