Harvard professor leaves US for China after 25 years, cites 'love for science' as reason he's leaving

Liu Jun is one of the foremost statisticians in the world.

Earlier this year, he was elected to the National Academy of Sciences, a U.S. nonprofit organisation, for his "distinguished and continuing achievements in original research".

The academy recognises leaders in the sciences, and it provides "science, engineering, and health policy advice to the federal government and other organisations".

An interview in 2001 said that Liu was always interested in maths, but that "it was a hard interest to pursue in the waning years of the Cultural Revolution in China".

Now 25 years later, Liu is marking his return to China.

According to SCMP, he stated at the Tsinghua welcome ceremony that his choice to return now was driven by "a love for education and scientific research, as well as a sense of patriotism".

Tsinghua officially established a department of statistics and data science on Jul. 10.

In recent weeks, President Donald Trump has taken aim at Harvard University, particularly over its ties to China.

In Jun. 2025, he suspended foreign students seeking to study at Harvard for an initial period of six months, citing "national security."

Image from Harvard and two sigma