Former MIT President advocates for sustained US-China academic cooperation

Amid escalating tensions between the United States and China, L. Rafael Reif, the former president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), stressed the vital importance of maintaining academic and scientific exchanges between the two superpowers. In his recent article, "Universities as Tools of Diplomacy," Reif advocated for a balanced approach to higher education's engagement with China, ensuring that legitimate national security concerns do not lead to prohibitive policies that stifle academic collaboration.

Reif voiced his concerns over the brinkmanship surrounding the US-China Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement, a pivotal framework for bilateral academic and scientific exchange established in 1979. Describing the recent hesitancy to renew the agreement as "extremely short-sighted," Reif underscored the proven benefits of scientific exchanges in easing national tensions.

Highlighting China's significant role in global science and engineering, Reif pointed out the indispensable contributions of Chinese researchers to American scientific endeavors, often serving as key co-authors in prestigious journals. He warned that imposing broad restrictions on collaboration with Chinese peers could severely impede progress in critical scientific fields.

Reif further emphasized the unique capacity of universities to forge connections through education, research, and joint problem-solving. He championed the shared language of science and scholarship as a powerful medium for dialogue and understanding, especially when traditional diplomatic avenues are constrained.

"Universities are sometimes the only institutions capable of building these critical bridges. We should commit to building them whenever possible," he said, underscoring the essential role of academic institutions in fostering international cooperation and understanding amid geopolitical challenges.