The move, confirmed in November, comes after Lee failed to secure a suitable senior role in South Korea.
Once a chair professor and nanostructure physics director at Sungkyunkwan University, Lee had submitted a research plan to South Korea’s science ministry but got little more than a cold shoulder. Rather than hang about waiting, he packed his bags, joined the Chinese Academy of Sciences (he’s been a foreign member since 2021) and jumped into a role that better fits his ambitions.
The Wuhan-based facility is part of a wider push by Chinese authorities to boost innovation in new materials, energy, optoelectronics, biomedical fields, and, of course, anything that smells like semiconductor dominance.
Lee’s focus on low-dimensional quantum materials will not help China leapfrog the US in the next two years, but given a decade, it may be a different story.
Lee said he hoped the centre would bring together scientific expertise, collaborate with overseas universities and nurture young talent. If that sounds like diplomatic sugar-coating, it might be. However, the fact remains that South Korea’s loss is Beijing’s gain.
While this may not be state-level poaching like Huawei’s notorious TSMC salary tripling stunts, it still fits a familiar pattern. China’s been quietly (and sometimes not-so-quietly) hoovering up overseas talent, especially where semiconductors and physics are concerned.
It’s unclear whether any South Korean officials are bothered or even aware. Given their past behaviour, they’ll probably notice once someone else patents Lee’s breakthroughs. However, it looks like governments must start treating their boffins better. If they don’t want to pay them or conduct research the way they want, China will undoubtedly make it happen.