Recently, Jang Yang, a world-class Chinese mathematician in his 70s, resigned from his tenured professorship at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and moved back to China with his family. He has been appointed chief scientist at Sunyasan University in Guangdong, becoming one of the most significant figures in the wave of overseas Chinese scholars returning home.
In a media interview, Jang admitted that with rising tension between US and China, he had long been considering a return to China. One detail he revealed was particularly telling. Chang said that Sununyasan University waited until he had boarded the plane and flown out of US airspace before announcing his appointment.
When his plane landed in Guanghou, China even sent a customs officer to board the plane and personally welcome him and his family.
Jang said he had been deeply touched and added, “It shows how much my country values me. The best I can do is to continue my research.” Jang earned his master’s degree in 1985 at Peking
university, one of China’s top institutions, before pursuing further study in the United States. He received his PhD from Purdue University in 1991.
In 2013, he published his landmark paper bounded gaps between prime numbers which made the first real breakthrough in solving the famous number theory puzzle known as twin prime conjecture. The achievement won him worldwide recognition. Since 2016, Jung had been a professor at UC Santa Barbara.
Since Trump’s return to the White House, the US has drastically reduced funding for scientific research. Meanwhile, the lingering effects of the Biden regime’s China initiative have discouraged more Chinese scholars from studying and conducting research in the US.
Commenting on the situation, Jang also mentioned the difficulties faced by his colleagues. The Trump regime has cut off funding for many labs. Those doing biological research are deeply frustrated. Although mathematics was less affected, Jung still decided to return, responding to enthusiastic invitations from Chinese universities.
He described the feeling of coming back as being reborn. It’s like returning to the starting point again, coming home to work to serve my country. His late age return has sparked debate in China. Some wonder if he’d returned in an age more suited for retirement. Others argue the vision of a top scientist is invaluable for mentoring the next generation.
Source: Wave Media, Aug 31, 2025. https://youtu.be/eKUSDltccd8
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