Graduate students from China pose for photos before the Columbia University Commencement ceremony in New York, the United States, May 22, 2019. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)
"By suspending entry of certain students and researchers from the People's Republic of China, the White House is also stifling a flow of STEM talent that is critical to the success of American universities, as well as to companies like Amazon, Apple, Ford and IBM," said Brian Denton, a University of Michigan professor.
WASHINGTON, June 6 (Xinhua) -- U.S. restrictions on Chinese students would stifle American companies, universities and innovation, an expert has warned.
U.S. President Donald Trump's proclamation on May 29 "threatens to cut off American universities from the valuable contributions that Chinese students make to our scholarly pursuits, and to jeopardize the 13 billion U.S. dollars that they contribute to the United States economy each year," wrote Brian Denton, a professor of industrial operations and engineering at the University of Michigan, in an opinion piece on news platform The Hill published Friday.
"By suspending entry of certain students and researchers from the People's Republic of China, the White House is also stifling a flow of STEM talent that is critical to the success of American universities, as well as to companies like Amazon, Apple, Ford and IBM," according to Denton.
"Much remains to be understood about how this will affect the more than 350,000 Chinese students enrolled in American universities, but it has the potential for severe consequences for institutes of higher education and the economic security of the United States," he said.
The proclamation pertains specifically to the "F" and "J" type visas that allow people to visit the United States for the purposes of learning and conducting scientific research, he said.
"Research advances and teaching assistance aside, many of these students also contribute to the financial viability of higher education in the United States. Their tuition payments provide a valuable revenue stream that helps universities like ours deliver on our research and educational missions, in pursuit of the public good," he said.
"I work together with many of these highly successful people myself. They are now my colleagues as they have chosen to build their careers and lives in the United States. The diversity of perspectives they offer enhances organizations, making them more productive and successful," he said. ■
