Why leave Berkeley for Tsinghua? A Nobel laureate explains

为何离开伯克利、选择清华？一位诺贝尔奖得主道出缘由

Omar M. Yaghi, a Nobel laureate in chemistry, explains his recent decision to move from Berkeley to Tsinghua. In a CMG exclusive, he talks about life in China, from everyday conveniences that make life cozy to fresh food and human warmth. More importantly, he values the "let me try" attitude. Having worked with Chinese students for years, he admires their resilience when things don't go as planned. At Tsinghua, he's found the right talent and environment to advance molecular science. That is what brought him here.

诺贝尔化学奖得主奥马尔·M·亚吉，讲述了自己近期从加州大学伯克利分校转战清华大学的决定。在中央广播电视总台独家专访中，他分享了在中国的生活体验：便利的配套设施让日常起居舒适惬意，新鲜食材随处可得，人与人之间也充满温情。

更让他看重的，是这里敢于尝试、放手探索的科研氛围。多年与中国学生共事的经历，让他十分欣赏这群年轻人面对科研困境时坚韧不拔的特质。清华汇聚了顶尖科研人才，也具备推进分子科学研究的优质环境，这正是他选择来到这里的核心原因。

以下是各国网友的评论：

JennyPoolton
Everything he says I identify with. We lived in China for 7 years. It was the best time of my life. China has a very big place in my heart.

他讲的所有感受我都完全认同。我们曾在中国居住七年，那是我这辈子最幸福的时光，我发自内心喜爱中国。

 

jared7877
Welcome professor. Thank you for making contributions to mankind in China

欢迎教授！感谢您选择在中国开展研究，造福全人类。

 

hsingchen5141
Welcome, Professor. Hope you will be awarded with another Nobel Prize one day.

欢迎教授，期待您未来能再次斩获诺贝尔奖。

 

chillstep4life
Nobel Prize is overrated. Now that he is in China they will not give him another Nobel prize

诺贝尔奖的含金量被吹得太高了。他现在来到中国，西方那边大概率不会再给他颁奖。

LP-hm7tm
@chillstep4life He loves chemistry not medals unlike someone we all know who started wars for not getting one. I hope one of his students will. He will be very proud.

他热爱的是化学研究，不是奖牌。不像某些人，就因为没拿到奖项不惜挑起战争。我希望他的学生未来能拿下诺奖，他一定会倍感欣慰。

chillstep4life
@LP-hm7tm I dont think you realize the Nobel Prize is less about merit and more about which country you represent. Obama won the Nobel Peace prize in 2009 just for getting elected president and talking a big game about world peace. He did basically nothing to deserve it. The prize was awarded to him to further US agenda and legitimize their soft power projection.
Need another example? María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace prize in 2025. She is a Venezuelan politician who advocated for the over throw of Venezuelas government. She was living in the US during Trumps short war on Venezuela while advocating for US to invade Veneuela. After US kidnapped Maduro she gifted her "Nobel Peace" prize to Trump saying he deserved it for Venezuela regime change against "auth rian" Maduro government (even though Maduro was de ocratically elected). Again Machado was given the Nobel prize because she is a tool of Western elites and legitimizes whatever agenda they have.

 你没看清一个事实：诺奖看重的从来不是科研实力，而是获奖者所属阵营。2009年奥巴马刚当选总统，嘴上空谈世界和平，就拿到了诺贝尔和平奖，可他当时没有做出任何匹配该奖项的实绩。给他颁奖，纯粹是为了推进美国的战略、合理化美国的软实力输出。

再举个例子：2025年和平奖得主玛丽亚·科里纳·马查多，是委内瑞拉政客，一直煽动推番本国合法政府。特朗普对委内瑞拉发动小规模冲突期间，她定居美国，公开呼吁美军入侵祖国。美方扣押马杜罗之后，她甚至把自己的和平奖转送给特朗普，称赞他推番“威*政府”的行动，可马杜罗明明是民诸选举上台。说白了，西方精英扶持马查多拿奖，只是利用她推行自身政治目的。

 

KC-ls8zn
Welcome to China Professor

教授，欢迎来到中国。

 

davidchung4691
It is Tsinghua's gain to have such a high profile Professor taking up position in one of China's top University! Best wishes to Pr0f Omar!

清华能请到这位顶尖教授任教，是学校莫大的收获！祝奥马尔教授一切顺利！

 

harikaimal
What he says about persisting even after failures strikes a chord with me. More than genius, it is the persistence which pays off.

他所说的屡败屡战、坚持不懈，让我深有感触。比起天赋，持之以恒才是成事的关键。

 

PChan-yt4uf
That's the reason why Chinese immigrants to every corner of the world survive and thrive. The never-say-die attitude, even in the face of the most extreme hardship.

这也是遍布全球的华人总能站稳脚跟、发展向好的原因。哪怕遭遇天大的困境，他们也绝不轻言放弃。

 

owenmurphy2022
without persistance , there wouldn't be "genius" exstence. Isaac Newton purportedly studied 17 hours / day, no wonder he was able to eventually (at the same time as leibniz) invent calculus

没有坚持，再高的天赋也没用。据说牛顿每天学习17个小时，也正因如此，他才能和莱布尼茨各自独立创立微积分。

 

vinamrac
This is something, I have loved too, when working with Chinese researcher's, one is constantly having fun and learning.

和中国科研人员共事时我也深有体会，既能轻松相处，又能持续学到新知识。

 

alipaf2002
Visited China many times, it is nice there.

我去过中国很多次，那里各方面都很好。

 

yu-jd5jg
Chinese under Confucianism have great respect for scholars

受儒家文化影响，中国人向来十分敬重学者。

 

we1202life
Credible inspirational academia footprints lead the pioneer spirit pathway towards sustainable positive development

扎实又富有启发性的科研历程，开拓出一条依靠创新、稳步可持续发展的道路。

 

bobjack2381
Bobel is best complement on China

这段话是对中国极高的夸赞。

 

kindface
Failures in experiments are invaluable.
By knowing what doesn't work, it accelerates future experiments by shortening trial and error.

实验失败有着极高的价值。排除行不通的方案，就能大幅减少试错环节，加快后续研究进度。

 

alanmhly
this would be so fun

能在这里做研究一定很有意思。

 

mks9235
Dang! China is now luring away even world class researchers from the US!

天呐，现在连世界级顶尖学者都被中国从美国吸引过去了。

 

Seeker2324
The US is becoming a comprehensive dystopia.
Time was that my dream was to be able to live in New York. That was in the eighties. Today, I feel distaste even on a visit.
And the America SYSTEM !!!
All the blinkers, the illusions, the pretenses, have fallen away. Nothing masks the ugliness and the brutality at its core any longer

美国如今整体变得让人压抑绝望。八十年代时，定居纽约曾是我的梦想。现在就算只是短暂到访，我都心生反感。

美国整套体系的伪装、幻象与借口，如今全都不复存在，内里的残酷与不堪再也掩盖不住。

 

ggttuuxx
Not "luring". China is wng the hearts of true academics who want to do research and benefit all of mankind.
US will keep the greedy lab assistants who want more and more money to create more weapons.

这不叫“挖人”。中国打动了真心想做基础研究、造福全人类的学者。

美国留下的，大多是一心逐利、只为研发武器牟利的科研人员。

 

MAR-lt7xo
I am happy for the learning and progressive environment in China, which is hel to attract such a high caliber of Nobel researchers to China. From Pakistan

我为中国良好、进取的科研环境感到欣喜，正因如此，才能吸引诺奖级别的顶尖学者前来。我来自巴基斯坦。

 

Curator_of_News
China is really pushing for massive improvements to its foundational science research and development.

中国正大力投入基础科学研发，力求实现重大突破。

 

ed7890
For one, Tsinghua University is already getting steam for its academics and rigor, research and reputation. Add the fact that Trump is cutting funding to Universities, no wonder why professors go elsewhere(including China).

一方面，清华的学术氛围严谨，科研实力与口碑持续提升；另一方面特朗普政府削减高校科研经费，也难怪众多教授另寻去处，中国就是其中一个选择。

 

albertleung5823
Welcome to China, Professor, have a great journey!

欢迎教授来到中国，愿您在这里一切顺遂！

 

briancolwell2274
The Chinese work ethic, is really impressive…

中国人吃苦耐劳、踏实钻研的精神，实在令人佩服。

 

manuelmoraleda9684
Talent has no national bounderies. He'll go where he thinks his ideas will be "fertlilized" and bear fruits.
Funding is the key.

人才不分国界。学者会去往能滋养自己科研想法、做出成果的地方，充足的科研经费是核心要素。

 

adindanatassa
You stay in a place that appreciates you and gives you better/best rewards...simple logic...no need historical mind why on earth you stay in a place that disregard you and gives you no opportunies to grow?! you do not leave for the sake of basic necessities only lah. C'mon world, be objective, its not a political answer instead a personal's academic goal

人自然会留在赏识自己、能提供优厚发展条件的地方，道理很简单。谁愿意待在不重视自己、毫无上升空间的环境？学者离开原有国家不只是为了温饱。大家客观看待这件事，这无关政治，只是个人科研理想的选择。

QHurPhD
@adindanatassa , many educated people have political convictions and political commitments so they take those things into consideration as well apart from best rewards as you put it so crudely. Don’t imagine everyone has your simple cost benefit analysis and nothing else.

很多受过高等教育的人都有自己的政治立场与责任，不会只像你说的那样单纯权衡利弊、追逐优厚待遇。不要以为所有人做决定都只算得失账。

 

marvinfok65
China's living environment had improved so much that experts around the world are willing to come. Safety is a very important aspect for people to consider to stay.

中国生活环境提升巨大，这也是各国专家愿意前来的原因。治安安全，是大家选择长期定居的重要考量。

 

LiewBrian-o5j
He forgotten to mention that he was fed up of the hypocrites around him in Berkeley.

他没提到一点：他早就厌烦了伯克利身边那些虚伪的人。

 

SeljuklyAli
Sure china have a lot of vegetables

中国新鲜蔬菜品类确实很丰富。

 

zelmajex3957
I found the precedent of "possibility thinking" leading the way in business and community building on my first venture in the Chinese countries

我第一次在中国地区创业就发现，当地人擅长开拓思维，乐于发掘各类商业与社区发展的新可能。

 

AIandComputerUse-nw6lc
Moved to Tsinghua for the food deliveries and the vegetables

他选择清华，也是看中这里外卖便利、新鲜食材充足。

 

trihoang163
which has been available in the US for years.

这些便利条件在美国早就有了。

 

francoislechanceux5818
That's a Chinese way of promoting himself

这只是他迎合中国、抬高自己的说辞罢了。

 

wisdomboots
Yes, most intellectuals will work for China.

没错，很多知识分子都会选择来华发展。

 

ernestmwape
China is now mop high level academia. No complaints as the West have been running those H1B and equivalent VISA arrangements

如今中国大量吸纳顶尖科研人才，这无可厚非，西方长久以来也靠签证政策全球招揽人才。

 

Geo_Neo_Everywhere
Prof. Is saying very true things. How ever by personal experience i had to see many times that the persistence is terrible if you are wrong and many Chinese are unfortunately like that.
However China is big and all the world had moved the factories there. Things change with time.
Western capitalism has destroyed itself because too greedy.
Sure China has made a miracle but not alone.

教授说的道理不假，但结合我的亲身经历，如果研究方向本身出错，一味坚持只会白费功夫，不少中国人会犯这个问题。

不过中国地域广阔，全球工厂都汇聚于此，一切都会随时间改变。

西方资 本主义因过度贪婪走向衰败，中国的确创造了发展奇迹，但这不是单凭一己之力完成的。

 

GeorgeMackem
Life is simple I moved from Exxon to petrochina because they doubled my salary
As for China the place is utter chaos

道理很直白，我从埃克森美孚跳槽到中石油，就是因为薪资直接翻倍。但说实话，中国当地环境十分混乱。

 

ashahassan4320
Food deliveries! What?
His eyes dropped down on his throat.

就为外卖？不至于吧，这个理由太牵强了。

 

CN_SFY_General
The best thing students in Tsinghua to gain is the altitude to research and the way to attack a problem encountered in the research; also the students have to go further in the research with professor Omar Yaghi in order to gain some more knowledge in some fields that professors in China may not know or may not be very good at. Nobel laureates will not continue to have a great discovery leading to another Nobel prize in most cases.

清华学生最大的收获，是拓宽科研视野、掌握解决科研难题的思路。跟随奥马尔·亚吉教授深造，还能接触到国内学者涉猎较少的前沿领域。不过多数情况下，诺奖得主很难再做出足以二次获奖的重大发现。

 

MightyRoy
The truth is Professor Omar M. Yaghi is Palestinian and the Americans and Israelis are killing his people, that's why he moved.

真相是亚吉教授是巴勒斯坦人，美、以两国持续伤害他的同胞，这才是他选择离开美国的核心原因。

 

kosamui
Follow the money

说到底还是为了更好的科研经费待遇。

 

sferris33
This is not possible in the dark ages in Kansas

堪萨斯州的保守闭塞环境，根本留不住这样的学者。

 

farooqkhan6441
Wish him a great time in China

祝愿他在中国一切顺遂。

 

alanbgtan
The fact of the matter is Trump knows US no longer has the capability (moral, financial, economic & militarily) to support its people and improve the standard by continuing to boost academia. Only solution is to let loose of universities and use the money to go to war and perk up the corporations in US. US has missed the boat to fight China as 9/10 top colleges in top 10 are Chinese. Professors & phd students need US funding to continue doing research and Trump will not do that. Thus these academia will leave US to pursue the real goal to benefit mankind

事实很清楚，特朗普清楚美国如今在道义、资金、经济、军事层面都无力持续投入高校科研、提升国民生活水平。所以政府削减高校预算，把资金挪去发动战争、扶持本土企业。美国已经错失和中国竞争的良机，全球十强高校里有九所来自中国。教授与博士生离不开科研经费支持，但特朗普不愿拨款，因此大批科研人员离开美国，奔赴能实现造福人类科研理想的地方。

 

ALean7699
Us Asians have to travel to America in order to graduate with a PhD... hope this ends soon. One more thing. Us Chinese are forced to go through moral studies at the age of 9. I pity our teachers, but it's a long term investment haha.

过去亚洲人想要攻读博士，都得远赴美国，希望这种局面尽快改变。另外，中国孩子九岁就要学习思想品德课程，老师们工作很辛苦，但这是着眼长远的教育投入。

 

Wade564bghc
China invests and promotes science to benefit mankind where the west under us “leadership” plays zero sum game.

中国持续投入科研、用科技造福全人类，而由美国主导的西方世界，只会玩损人利己的零和博弈。