Full Breakdown
Chinese Chemist Zhang Wei Returns to China as Deputy Dean at Great Bay University
7/16/2026, 11:17:29 AM
Zhang Wei’s Appointment at Great Bay University
On July 2, former University of Colorado Boulder chemistry department chair Zhang Wei attended a hiring ceremony at Great Bay University’s Songshan Lake campus in Dongguan, Guangdong. He will serve as deputy dean and chair professor of the university’s physical sciences school. GBU president Tian Gang, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, presented Zhang with his appointment letter.
Personal Motivations for Returning
Zhang cited family considerations and research opportunities as the primary reasons for his move. In an email he wrote that the death of his father in 2020 and pandemic-related travel restrictions “had a profound effect” on him. He added, “Now that my mother is getting older, I hope that in the next stage of my life, I can be closer to her and spend more time with her.”
Institutional Viewpoints
Tian Gang praised Zhang’s international reputation, noting that his long-standing engagement in scientific research and discipline construction at overseas high-level universities makes him “an internationally outstanding young talent.” Tian said the appointment “is not only a recognition of the school’s educational philosophy and development direction, but also further strengthens the university’s confidence in building a high-level teaching staff.”
Broader Context of Chinese Researchers Returning
The ceremony was framed by the question, “Why are more Chinese scientists leaving the US to return to China?” Zhang’s move exemplifies a growing pattern of Chinese scholars who, after establishing careers abroad, are attracted back by family ties, improved research environments, and national initiatives to bolster domestic scientific capacity.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Professor Zhang has long been engaged in scientific research and discipline construction at overseas high-level research universities,” — Tian Gang, President, Great Bay University
- “The fact that such an internationally outstanding young talent has chosen to come to the university is not only a recognition of the school’s educational philosophy and development direction, but also further strengthens the university’s confidence in building a high-level teaching staff.” — Tian Gang
- “Now that my mother is getting older, I hope that in the next stage of my life, I can be closer to her and spend more time with her,” — Zhang Wei, Chemist
- “had a profound effect” — Zhang Wei (email)
