Nobel-winning US chemist will move to China to lead AI institute
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Omar Yaghi, who shared the 2025 Nobel Prize in chemistry, has left his faculty post at the University of California, Berkeley, for one in China.
PHOTO: SOPHIE PARK/NYTIMES
William J. Broad
- Nobel-winning chemist Omar Yaghi left UC Berkeley to lead a new AI institute at Tsinghua University, China, aiming to accelerate materials discovery with advanced technology.
- China is investing heavily in science and attracting top international talents, outperforming the US in chemistry research and publications.
- Yaghi's metal-organic frameworks enable innovative applications like harvesting water from desert air, reflecting how diverse experiences can drive scientific breakthroughs.
AI generated
WASHINGTON – Omar Yaghi, an immigrant to the United States who shared the 2025 Nobel Prize in chemistry, has left his faculty post at the University of California, Berkeley, for one in China, where he will lead an institute using artificial intelligence to accelerate the discovery of new materials.
Yaghi’s move comes amid the Trump administration’s continuing disruptions of US science funding and China’s efforts to woo international scientists with hefty budgets.