Not Going Abroad and Not Coming Home

Asian graduate students and post-doctorate fellows dominate some math and science programs in the West. Attitudes about such cross-border exchanges were analyzed by researchers, working separately, in China and Japan. “Japan needs to send more people abroad to study science, while China needs to do a better job of luring foreign-trained scientists back home,” suggests Beryl Lieff Benderly for Science, based on conclusions from two University World News articles. Researchers in both Japan and China worry about disruptions to their careers with a foreign post and then returning to reconnect with colleagues in their homelands. A Chinese program intended to lure researchers back home has its limits: Chinese researchers are uncomfortable about cultural expectations for instant results. One researcher with Tokyo University of Science concludes that scientists who worked in foreign countries tend to show more productivity, skill with the English language and publishing papers, and ability to collaborate in research exchanges. – YaleGlobal