Nobel laureate Omar Yaghi, now a chaired professor at Tsinghua University, has praised China's rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and science, citing strong funding, commitment, and opportunities for young talent.
Yaghi, who won the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, said in an interview with China Media Group (CMG) that these achievements are no accident but the result of sustained investment and a culture that empowers innovation.
"Well, I mean China is quite an impressive country. The number of graduates studying STEM is much larger than in any other country. So China is rapidly developing almost all aspects of science and technology. And they are in many aspects leading the world in AI. And that doesn't come by accident. That is the result of a dedicated commitment to funding research at the level that allows scientists to explore and to develop new ideas, not only commitment, but sustained commitment over the years. And this leads to better resources and it leads to the ability of young scholars to not just plug into science because there are so many opportunities because of the support, but also exercise their new ideas and develop their ideas. And one among many areas that China is doing very well is AI," said Yaghi.
In July, Yaghi left his post at the University of California, Berkeley, to join Tsinghua University on a full-time basis. He said his Chinese students in the U.S. have always inspired him, and he looks forward to deeper collaboration with young Chinese talent now based in China.
"Over the years in the U.S., I've always had, as I said, 15 different nationalities, and I've dealt with Chinese students in my lab all the time, almost from day one. And quite honestly, they are truly inspiring to me, because they are able to face hardship in the experiment and still sustain their interest, still maintain the intensity of their experiments, the intensity of thinking about it and learning. And in the end, this has always led to great discoveries. So it seems like I have the great combination here where the molecules are calling me again to do more and do better and never stop. And I had perhaps the very talent that could get me there fast," said Yaghi.
Nobel laureate praises China's AI progress, science drive
