An American Nobel laureate has accused the US government of hindering scientific collaboration with China while praising Hong Kong and the mainland for their “tremendous respect” for science and academia.
Randy Schekman, who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2013, also praised Hong Kong’s openness and “free spirit” compared with the mainland, while urging both regions to foster more creativity among youth.
He made the remarks at a press briefing ahead of his keynote address at the Future Science Prize Week’s annual conference for the Asian Young Scientist Fellowship in Hong Kong on Thursday.
The fellowship recognises young scientists from across the region for their outstanding achievements and encourages private-sector funding to support regional research.
Asked about the state of scientific cooperation between the US and China amid geopolitical tensions, Schekman described it as a “very, very bad time”.
“There’s no reason that there should be any interruption in communication about basic science. This is not rocket science. This is not cybersecurity,” he said.
