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Zhuowen Li

The recent decision by ETH Zurich, Switzerland’s top-ranked university, to restrict admission of students from China and certain other nations marks a troubling milestone in the growing academic divide between China and the West.
ETH Zurich recently announced stringent security screening measures which affect applicants from 23 countries, including China, to its master’s and doctoral programmes. The policy calls for scrutiny not just of an applicant’s nationality but their previous education, funding sources and intended field of study.
In September, Georgia Institute of Technology in the US announced it was ending its long-standing collaboration with China’s Tianjin University. It cited government security concerns after Tianjin University was added to the US Department of Commerce’s Entity List in 2020, making the partnership “no longer tenable”.
These moves highlight how deeply geopolitical tensions are reshaping global academic exchange. The deterioration of educational ties between China and Western countries foreshadows broader repercussions for scientific progress and international understanding.
During the past decade, US-China educational ties have transformed dramatically to a point where the landscape is now one of reciprocal distrust and growing barriers. US students studying in China plummeted from a peak of nearly 25,000 in 2012 to a mere 700 last year, while Chinese students’ enrolment in US universities hit a decade low in 2023.
Now, this academic decoupling is spreading to Europe. ETH Zurich’s restrictions are among the most extensive imposed by a Western university so far, but similar policies with regard to foreign students have emerged at universities in Germany and the Netherlands.


The erosion of academic exchange between China and the West has a significant human impact. Chinese students, particularly those in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) fields, increasingly find themselves caught in a web of suspicion, facing lengthy security reviews and visa restrictions.
Some are forced to choose between completing their studies and visiting family, as one-year academic visas make return trips risky. Others see their academic dreams derailed entirely, shying away from pursuing degrees in the US because of security screening and pivoting to Europe only to find themselves in the crosshairs again.
Moreover, these restrictive measures are reshaping the global flow of talent and knowledge. Western universities are likely to face a brain drain if such restrictions continue or are expanded. This would hurt the diversity of leading US and European institutions and ultimately weaken global scientific collaboration and innovation.
More critically, the decline in scientific exchanges between China and the West weakens the world’s collective ability to address challenges that require global collaboration, such as climate change and public health crises. In fields such as artificial intelligence safety and quantum computing, the isolation of research communities risks creating dangerous blind spots and duplicative efforts.




These aren’t just theoretical concerns. We have already seen the negative impact of reduced research collaboration on the productivity of ethnically Chinese scientists in the US.
This academic decoupling could also affect future generations of policymakers and leaders. Without sustained people-to-people contact, it is hard to imagine future leaders navigating complex international relationships effectively.
As exchange and cooperation dwindle, countries on both sides risk gradually losing their ability to understand each other. This could ultimately harm their own interests more than protect them as such understanding remains crucial even in a competitive or adversarial relationship.
Justifications for restrictions on academic exchange often cite national security considerations and the risk of illicit technology transfer. While there are legitimate security concerns that universities need to address, the current trend of imposing broad restrictions based on nationality rather than specific risk factors threatens to throw out the baby with the bathwater. A more nuanced approach is needed – one that can safeguard sensitive research while preserving the international character of academic institutions.




It is crucial to strike a balance between legitimate security concerns and the fundamental values of open academic exchange. Universities have long been bastions of international cooperation and cross-cultural understanding. By erecting barriers to collaboration, we risk undermining the very foundation of scientific progress and global problem-solving.
Observers in both China and the West have noted that the optimism of scientific exchange strengthening all nations feels like ancient history. We have entered an era of mutual suspicion and increasing isolation.
However, the stakes could not be higher right now. How we approach academic cooperation today will determine not only the future of international education but also the prospects for scientific progress and mutual understanding in an increasingly polarised world.
Addressing global challenges such as climate change and public health crises requires diverse perspectives and collaborative solutions. As we confront these unprecedented issues, dismantling the bridges of cooperation built over decades is a choice we cannot afford.


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Opinion

China Opinion

Dismantling the bridges of scientific and academic cooperation built over decades is a choice the world cannot afford at this crucial moment


Dismantling the bridges of scientific and academic cooperation built over decades is a choice the world cannot afford at this crucial moment.


Education

China education

China-EU relations

Switzerland

Expresses the views, ideas and conclusions of the author. (Eg. Enough of Crazy Rich Asians, think of crazy poor Hongkongers.)


China-West academic decoupling does the world no favours

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Dismantling the bridges of scientific and academic cooperation built over decades is a choice the world cannot afford at this crucial moment

Dismantling the bridges of scientific and academic cooperation built over decades is a choice the world cannot afford at this crucial moment