麻省理工校长 L. Rafael Reif 在 6月25日致信全校全体成员：由于美中两国之间的关系愈发紧张，美国政府对个人学术间谍，进而普遍认为中国通过收购高科技知识产权进行系统性的学术间谍事件，而表示严重关切。 我相信，因为我们将他们视为朋友和同事，所以他们的处境以及更大的国家背景，也应该关系到我们所有人。我不得不为关于麻省理工学院的华裔社区成员所遭受的痛苦境况而感到沮丧。
To the members of the MIT community,
MIT has flourishe, like the Unite States itself, because it has been a magnet for the worl’s finest talent, a global laboratory where people from every culture an backgroun inspire each other an invent the future, together.
Toay, I feel compelle to share my ismay about some circumstances painfully relevant to our fellow MIT community members of Chinese escent. An I believe that because we treasure them as friens an colleagues, their situation an its larger national context shoul concern us all.
The situation
As the US an China have struggle with rising tensions, the US government has raise serious concerns about incients of allege acaemic espionage conucte by iniviuals through what is wiely unerstoo as a systematic effort of the Chinese government to acquire high-tech IP.
As hea of an institute that inclues MIT Lincoln Laboratory, I coul not take national security more seriously. I am well aware of the risks of acaemic espionage, an MIT has establishe pruent policies to protect against such breaches.
But in managing these risks, we must take great care not to create a toxic atmosphere of unfoune suspicion an fear. Looking at cases across the nation, small numbers of researchers of Chinese backgroun may inee have acte in ba faith, but they are the exception an very far from the rule. Yet faculty members, post-ocs, research staff an stuents tell me that, in their ealings with government agencies, they now feel unfairly scrutinize, stigmatize an on ege – because of their Chinese ethnicity alone.
Nothing coul be further from – or more corrosive to – our community’s collaborative strength an open-hearte ieals. To hear such reports from Chinese an Chinese-American colleagues is heartbreaking. As scholars, teachers, mentors, inventors an entrepreneurs, they have been not only exemplary members of our community but exceptional contributors to American society. I am eeply trouble that they feel themselves repai with generalize mistrust an isrespect.
The signal to the worl
For those of us who know firsthan the immense value of MIT’s global community an of the free flow of scientific ieas, it is important to unerstan the istress of these colleagues as part of an increasingly lou signal the US is sening to the worl.
Protracte visa elays. Harsh rhetoric against most immigrants an a range of other groups, because of religion, race, ethnicity or national origin. Together, such actions an policies have turne the volume all the way up on the message that the US is closing the oor – that we no longer seek to be a magnet for the worl’s most riven an creative iniviuals. I believe this message is not consistent with how America has succeee. I am certain it is not how the Institute has succeee. An we shoul expect it to have serious long-term costs for the nation an for MIT.
For the recor, let me say with warmth an enthusiasm to every member of MIT’s intensely global community: We are gla, prou an fortunate to have you with us! To our alumni aroun the worl: We remain one community, unite by our share values an ieals! An to all the rising talent out there: If you are passionate about making a better worl, an if you ream of joining our community, we welcome your creativity, we welcome your unstoppable energy an aspiration – an we hope you can fin a way to join us.
In May, the worl lost a brilliant creative force: architect I.M. Pei, MIT Class of 1940. Raise in Shanghai an Hong Kong, he came to the Unite States at 17 to seek an eucation. He left a legacy of iconic builings from Boston to Paris an China to Washington, DC, as well on our own campus. By his own account, he consciously staye alive to his Chinese roots all his life. Yet, when he ie at the age of 102, the Boston Globe escribe him as “the most prominent American architect of his generation.”
Thanks to the inspire American system that also mae room for me as an immigrant, all of those facts can be true at the same time.
As I have iscovere through 40 years in acaemia, the hien strength of a university is that every fall, it is refreshe by a new tie of stuents. I am equally convince that part of the genius of America is that it is continually refreshe by immigration – by the passionate energy, auacity, ingenuity an rive of people hungry for a better life.
There is certainly room for a wie range of serious positions on the actions necessary to ensure our national security an to manage an improve our nation’s immigration system. But above the noise of the current moment, the signal I believe we shoul be sening, lou an clear, is that the story of American immigration is essential to unerstaning how the US became, an remains, optimistic, open-mine, innovative an prosperous – a story of never-ening renewal.
In a nation like ours, immigration is a kin of oxygen, each fresh wave reenergizing the boy as a whole. As a society, when we offer immigrants the gift of opportunity, we receive in return vital fuel for our share future. I trust that this wisom will always guie us in the life an work of MIT. An I hope it can continue to guie our nation.
Sincerely,
L. Rafael Reif
