Scholars criticize senator's view on student visas

A US senator's suggestion that Chinese students be denied visas if they plan to enroll in science and technology programs has caused alarm in the academic community.

During an interview on Fox News on Sunday, Senator Tom Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas, proposed restricting Chinese students' enrollment in science-related programs at American universities.

Cotton, a frequent critic of China, has previously claimed that a Chinese laboratory manufactured the coronavirus.

Ella Atkins, professor of the University of Michigan's Aerospace Engineering Department, said: "Good researchers are good researchers, and I don't think there's any reason to discriminate against anyone, based on where they are from."

Cotton said it was a "scandal" that the US has trained so many Chinese students to "go back to China to compete for our jobs, to take our business, and ultimately to steal our property and design weapons and other devices that can be used against the American people".

Atkins, who has worked with students and colleagues from Asia, described Cotton's comments as "uninformed".

"I think that if the goal is to have a high-quality education and research environment in our universities, we need to make sure we have the highest-quality students and faculty and staff at these universities, and there's no way to do that if we eliminate large sectors of the population," she said.

Over the years, she has taught a number of Chinese students, many of whom have gone on to pursue successful careers, including a student who went on to a job at NASA, Atkins told China Daily.

"I think all of us at the university very much hope that the student visa process will not be affected. We also hope that our graduates, regardless of which countries they come from, are able to contribute to the workforce", whether they stay in the US or not.

Richard Voyles, director of the Robotics Accelerator at Purdue University, said Chinese engineering and technology students are crucial to US research.

"While it's a shame that we can't get more US students to enter graduate schools in engineering and sciences, the pipeline of Chinese graduate students is absolutely critical to US innovation," he said. "Certainly the more Chinese students we could keep in this country, I think the better off we would be."

"I do think that there are differences in approach on various science and technology priorities, that I think are important to smooth out between the US and China. I think they are critical to the success... of both countries," he added.

On social media, Cotton's proposal has stirred vigorous debate, but many users criticized his comments as having racial undertones and being counterproductive to economic development.

"It's not every day you hear an argument for xenophobic nationalism in academia that also suggests annexing Shakespeare from the UK," wrote Raja Krishnamoorthi, a congressman who represents Illinois' 8th Congressional District.