U.S. Targeting of Chinese Scientists Fuels a Brain Drain
A Chinese scientist’s startup fled the U.S. after a federal investigation that included a failed sting, airport stops and an unfounded child-porn search.
It was a big opportunity for a small research university. In 2013, Xin Zhao, a prize-winning Ph.D. from the College of William & Mary, landed venture funding to commercialize some of the school’s patented nanotechnology. Zhao’s startup rented space nearby, hired local graduates and agreed to fund $1 million of new research at the Williamsburg, Virginia, campus.
“It was what everyone wants to see—a success story of a university spinout,” says Jason McDevitt, the school’s director of technology transfer.