Committee of 100 and University of Arizona Commence Joint Research into Race and Ethnicity in Science and Research, with a Focus on Chinese American Scientists

New York, NY and Tucson, AZ (June 23, 2021) — Committee of 100, a non-profit membership organization of prominent Chinese Americans, and the University of Arizona, one of the leading research universities in the country, today announced a new joint-research project designed to understand how research and academics have been affected by the limitations that the U.S. government has placed on international exchange with China, with special focus on the impact on professors and researchers who are of Chinese descent. Along with Committee of 100, the study is being co-led by Professor Jenny J. Lee, faculty member of the Center for the Study of Higher Education in the University of Arizona College of Education. Professor Lee’s prior research examines how migration policies, geopolitics, and social forces shape inequities in higher education, in the U.S. and abroad.

Additionally, Committee of 100 and the University of Arizona have assembled an academic advisory group for the project, which includes:

• Jennifer Bouey, Senior Policy Researcher, Tang Chair in China Policy Studies at RAND Corporation;
• Zhuo (Adam) Chen, Associate Professor and DrPH Program Coordinator, Department of Health Policy and Management, University of Georgia;
• Amy Liu, Associate Professor, Department of Government at the University of Texas at Austin;
• Eric McDaniel, Associate Professor, Department of Government & Co-Director of the Politics and Race and Ethnicity Lab at the University of Texas at Austin;
• Min Zhou, Professor of Sociology & Asian American Studies, Walter & Shirley Wang Endowed Chair in US-China Relations and Communications at the University of California Los Angeles.

“Scientific and technological advancements have underpinned the success of America, much of it owing to the world class talents who have come from abroad and the promotion of international exchange of ideas and knowledge,” said Zheng Yu Huang, President of Committee of 100. “The restrictions and fear mongering of recent years imposed on international exchange with China have sent a chill amongst American scientists and researchers, in particular targeting those of Chinese descent. Our hope is that this much needed research sheds light on race and ethnicity in science and research within the new global climate. We look forward to seeing the results and understanding how we may use them to advance understanding of the impact of government policy and regulation on the scientific competitiveness of America.”

“I’m excited to work with Committee of 100 on this overall research project, to pull data from the academic and research community to help draw a better understanding of the possible ramifications of government actions, and in particular scrutiny directed at scientists of Chinese or Asian descent,” said Professor Jenny J. Lee of the University of Arizona. “Our findings and conclusions will be based on the large sampling of scientists and researchers surveyed for this particular topic.”

“Transparency is critical, but selective enforcement is discriminative and stressful for an important component of our science and education workforce,” said Professor Zhuo (Adam) Chen. “This hurts American competitiveness and our hope is that the research can help shed some light on solutions to this ongoing challenge.”

About Committee of 100

Committee of 100 is a non-profit U.S. leadership organization of prominent Chinese Americans in business, government, academia, healthcare, and the arts focused on public policy engagement, civic engagement, and philanthropy. For over 30 years, Committee of 100 has served as a preeminent organization committed to the dual missions of promoting the full participation of Chinese Americans in all aspects of American life and constructive relations between the United States and Greater China. Visit https://www.committee100.org/ or follow Committee of 100 on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook for more information.

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Contact:

Charles Zinkowski

Director of Communications

Committee of 100

czinkowski@committee100.org