China’s award-winning mathematician Wan Daqing leaves California for Chongqing
Award-winning mathematician Wan Daqing retires from UC Irvine, returns to China amid fierce provincial university competition.
Mathematical prodigy Wan Daqing, a recipient of China's highest mathematics honor, the ICCM Medal, has concluded his tenure at the University of California, Irvine and relocated to Chongqing, China. His return, confirmed in December 2025, triggered a significant recruitment rivalry among Chinese provincial universities, highlighting the intense competition for top-tier academic talent within the country. Wan, who gained international acclaim in 2001 for proving the long-standing Dwork conjecture, represents a high-profile example of the reverse brain drain trend, where Chinese scientists are opting to build their careers domestically.
This strategic move by Wan follows a concerted campaign by institutions like Southeast University, whose leadership was explicitly instructed to recruit him after a 2023 academic visit. The ICCM Medal, awarded triennially to Chinese mathematicians under 45, is considered equivalent to the Fields Medal, underscoring Wan's elite status. His departure from the U.S. academic system and the subsequent bidding war for his expertise in China signals a shift in the global scientific landscape, where China is aggressively investing to attract and retain its own world-class researchers.
- Wan Daqing, ICCM Medal winner, retired from UC Irvine and returned to China in December 2025.
- His return sparked fierce competition among Chinese provincial universities, including a documented recruitment push from Southeast University.
- He is renowned for proving the Dwork conjecture in 2001, a cornerstone in understanding prime number behavior.
Why It Matters
Highlights the growing trend of reverse brain drain and China's aggressive strategy to recruit top scientific talent from abroad.