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MIT Resolution to Show Appreciation for Professor Gang Chen
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After Professor Chen's case was finished, MIT passed the following resolution at an institute meeting on February 16, 2022:
“Mechanical Engineering Professor Gang Chen was detained at Logan Airport in January 2020 following a visit to China. Professor Chen and his family have since then endured a deeply painful, harmful, and distressing series of actions brought against him by Federal prosecutors. On January 20, 2022, the court dismissed all charges against Professor Chen, following a request by the responsible U.S. Attorney to drop the case in its entirety.
In recognition of the high esteem in which we hold our colleague Professor Chen, we offer this resolution:
Be it resolved that the Faculty and the Administration of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, at the Institute Faculty Meeting of February 16, 2022, record their profound relief and satisfaction at this news and their recognition of the great value that Professor Chen brings to the MIT community as a member of our Faculty.”
Read the resolution here: https://bit.ly/3vhsFWR
“Mechanical Engineering Professor Gang Chen was detained at Logan Airport in January 2020 following a visit to China. Professor Chen and his family have since then endured a deeply painful, harmful, and distressing series of actions brought against him by Federal prosecutors. On January 20, 2022, the court dismissed all charges against Professor Chen, following a request by the responsible U.S. Attorney to drop the case in its entirety.
In recognition of the high esteem in which we hold our colleague Professor Chen, we offer this resolution:
Be it resolved that the Faculty and the Administration of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, at the Institute Faculty Meeting of February 16, 2022, record their profound relief and satisfaction at this news and their recognition of the great value that Professor Chen brings to the MIT community as a member of our Faculty.”
Read the resolution here: https://bit.ly/3vhsFWR
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Statement by Gang Chen
2022/01/21 https://bit.ly/3GikrjH 
Click image to view full statement
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Reactions of Andrew Chen
2022/01/21 https://bit.ly/3o77m6U 
Click image to view reactions
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On January 20, 2022, Judge Patti Saris approved the government's motion to dismiss all charges against renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Professor Gang Chen (陈刚). The case is formally terminated after one year of pain and suffering to Professor Chen and his family.
A year earier on January 20, 2021, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the indictment of Professor Chen for failing to disclose contracts, appointments and awards from various entities in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to the U.S. Department of Energy.
The case stirred controversy from the start, when then-U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling unveiled the charges at a news conference in Boston on the last full day of the Trump administration. “It is not illegal to collaborate with foreign researchers. It’s illegal to lie about it,” Lelling said then. “The allegations in the complaint imply that this was not just about greed, but about loyalty to China.”
On January 21, 2021, Professor Chen's daughter Karen posted in GoFundMe the following statement: "As many of you know, my dad was indicted on the last full day of Trump’s presidency for allegedly lying about ties to China on a Department of Energy grant application. However, this indictment is absurd given the publicity surrounding his research and academic activities conducted in China or with Chinese academics. Many of the allegedly illicit 'activities' he supposedly failed to report were mundane and earnest efforts to help others such as writing letters of recommendation. My dad has devoted his life to education and the development of sustainable technologies for all of mankind. He moved to the US over 30 years ago with little other than a relentless determination to pursue the American dream. My dad is resolved to fight these charges because of the danger they represent to the broader academic community and all Chinese Americans. While MIT has agreed to pay my father’s legal expenses, there will undoubtedly be additional expenses for our family that extend beyond this agreement. We greatly appreciate any help. If we are fortunate enough to have any unused funds by the end of this long process, they will be donated to an appropriate charitable organization that handles similar cases."
On January 14, 2021, MIT President Rahfael Reif issued a statement expressing deep distressed by the arrest of Professor Chen in the morning.
Professor Chen is a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in China. His doctoral advisor was Professor Chang-lin Tien, the seventh Chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley (1990–1997) and the first Asian to head a major university in the United States. He is a mechanical engineer and nanotechnologist.
With Professor Chen's case, the government continues its pattern of profiling and criminalizing Chinese American scientists and researchers by fueling xenophobia and using the pretext of combating economic espionage. The current pattern may be traced to the initial indictment of Kansas University Professor Franklin Tao in August 2019. Missing in these cases is any allegation that the professors and researchers actually shared any prohibited technology or intellectual property with a Chinese entity. The bottom line is that these professors are having their lives and reputations ruined over what amounts to possible paperwork errors.
Links and References
MIT Professor Gang Chen faculty web page
2022/04/13 NCUSCR: Gang Chen’s Story and the End of the China Initiative
2022/01/28 WBUR/NPR: Prof. Gang Chen: China Initiative had a 'chilling effect' that 'terrified the science community'
Politico: Report details collapse of China Initiative case
2022/01/26 Wall Street Journal: MIT Professor Gang Chen Says Misunderstanding Lay at Root of U.S. Case
Human Rights Committee of NASEM: Case against U.S. Engineering Professor Gang Chen Is Dismissed
2022/01/25 New York Times: ‘In the End, You’re Treated Like a Spy,’ Says M.I.T. Scientist
New York Times (dual language/中英双语): “我们在残害我们自己”：华裔教授陈刚案背后的愤怒与幻灭/‘In the End, You’re Treated Like a Spy,’ Says M.I.T. Scientist
纽约时报: “我们在残害我们自己”：华裔教授陈刚案背后的愤怒与幻灭
紐約時報:「我們在殘害我們自己」：華裔教授陳剛案背後的憤怒與幻滅
Axios: DOJ's China Initiative under scrutiny as cases fall apart
Science: U.S. prosecutors said an MIT scientist hid his China ties. Here’s why their case collapsed
2022/01/23 Ohio Chinese American Association: MIT陈刚教授自述
2022/01/22 UCA: Statement on DOJ’s Decision to Drop All Charges Against Professor Gang Chen
2022/01/21 Inside Higher Ed: U.S. Dismisses Charges Against MIT Professor
Chemistry World opinion: What next for the US’s China Initiative after the case against MIT’s Gang Chen falls apart?
South China Morning Post: US drops charges against Gang Chen, MIT professor accused of lying about China ties
Boston Globe opinion: I was arrested under the DOJ's China Initiative. Congress must investigate the program.
Law and Crime: Feds Say ‘Interests of Justice’ Require Dropping Charges Against MIT Professor Accused of Lying About Connections to China
2022/01/20 DOJ: Statement from U.S. Attorney Rachael S. Rollins on the Dismissal of the Gang Chen Case
AP: US drops case against MIT professor accused of ties to China
MIT Technology Review: All charges against China Initiative defendant Gang Chen have been dismissed
Bloomberg: U.S. Drops Charges Against MIT Professor Over China Ties
Axio: Feds move to drop fraud charges against MIT professor
Reuters: U.S. drops criminal case against MIT professor over China ties
New York Times: U.S. Drops Its Case Against M.I.T. Scientist Accused of Hiding China Links
Boston Herald: Feds drop case against Gang Chen, MIT professor accused of ties to China
MIT Office of The President: Welcome news re. Professor Gang Chen
Committee of 100: On the Dismissal of All Federal Charges Against MIT Professor Gang Chen
2022/01/15 MIT Technology Review: In a further blow to the China Initiative, prosecutors move to dismiss a high-profile case
South China Morning Post: US to end case against Gang Chen, MIT scientist accused of hiding ties to China
2022/01/14 Wall Street Journal: Prosecutors Recommend Dropping Case Over China Ties Against MIT Scientist
AP: Prosecutors recommend dropping charges against MIT professor
Reuters: U.S. prosecutors recommend dropping case against MIT professor over China ties -source
Bloomberg: MIT Professor’s Case Over China Poised to Be Dropped by U.S.
Washington Post: In high-profile case against MIT’s Gang Chen, prosecutors seeking to drop charges
2021/12/20 Wall Street Journal: The U.S. Pursued Professors Working With China. Cases Are Faltering.
2021/07/06 Reuters: MIT professor loses bid to sanction former U.S. Attorney Lelling
2021/06/29 MIT Technology Review: We are all Gang Chen
2021/03/12 Vice: The US Is Building Walls Around Science, and We’re All Poorer for It
2021/02/11 Chris Dames: In defense of Gang Chen — in defense of academic freedom
2021/02/08 The Daily Northwestern: Materials science Prof. Jeff Snyder petitions arrest of MIT colleague
Stanford Today: Statement in support of Stanford’s international students and scholars
2021/02/04 Case 1:21-cr-10018: Motion for Sanctions for U.S. Attorney Lelling’s Repeated Violations of Local Rule 83.2.1
The Chronicle of Higher Education: Charges Against MIT Professor Underscore Geopolitical Risks of International Collaborations
2021/02/01 Jeff Snyder: We are all Gang Chen petition
2021/01-02 MIT Faculty Newsletter: Vol. XXXIII No. 3 January/February 2021
2021/01/30 University World News: Scrutiny of Chinese researchers threatens innovation
2021/01/29 WBUR: MIT Faculty Rally Around Professor Charged With Concealing China Ties
2021/01/28 Chemistry World: MIT faculty rally around colleague arrested for Chinese government links
2021/01/26 New York Times: A Scientist Is Arrested, and Academics Push Back
2021/01/25 Conversation: Intense scrutiny of Chinese-born researchers in the US threatens innovation
WSWS.com: MIT faculty defend professor against trumped-up charges related to China ties
Change.org: We are all Gang Chen
2021/01/22 知识分子: MIT教授联名信：对陈刚的大部分指控是对我们全体MIT教授的指控
Wall Street Journal: Justice Department Weighs Amnesty for Academics to Disclose Foreign Funding
MIT President Raphael Reif: Letter to the community re. SUSTECH Relationship and Professor Chen
Boston Globe: MIT president and faculty members defend professor arrested for China ties
SupChina: MIT professors object to arrest of Chen Gang for failing to disclose China ties
Twitter @zhigangsuo: We are all Gang Chen - 100 faculty members' letter to President Raphael Reif
2021/01/21 Letter from MIT Professors to MIT President Raphael Reif
GoFundMe: Support MIT Professor Gang Chen
MIT Chinese Students and Scholars Association: Concern about the Arrest of Dr. Gang Chen
2021/01/20 DOJ: MIT Professor Indicted on Charges Relating to Grant Fraud
2021/01/18 Chemistry World: MIT nanotechnologist arrested for hiding his ties to China
2021/01/17 Twitter @MargaretKLewis: "To be clear, Chen is not accused of transmitting classified information."
2021/01/16 饶议科学: 致MIT校长副校长的信：抬起头颅 直起脊梁
2021/01/14 DOJ: MIT Professor Arrested and Charged with Grant Fraud
Reuters: U.S. charges MIT professor with grant fraud over hidden Chinese ties
MIT President Raphael Reif: Distressing news about Professor Gang Chen
AP: MIT professor charged with hiding work for China
WWLP: MIT professor arrested and charged with grant fraud
Wall Street Journal: U.S. Accuses MIT Professor of Hiding Extensive China Ties in Federal Grant Application
Bloomberg: MIT Professor Is Accused of Hiding Millions in China Grants
2021/01/13 Case 1:21-mj-01011 Document 4-1: Affidavit of FBI Special Agent
A year earier on January 20, 2021, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the indictment of Professor Chen for failing to disclose contracts, appointments and awards from various entities in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to the U.S. Department of Energy.
The case stirred controversy from the start, when then-U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling unveiled the charges at a news conference in Boston on the last full day of the Trump administration. “It is not illegal to collaborate with foreign researchers. It’s illegal to lie about it,” Lelling said then. “The allegations in the complaint imply that this was not just about greed, but about loyalty to China.”
On January 21, 2021, Professor Chen's daughter Karen posted in GoFundMe the following statement: "As many of you know, my dad was indicted on the last full day of Trump’s presidency for allegedly lying about ties to China on a Department of Energy grant application. However, this indictment is absurd given the publicity surrounding his research and academic activities conducted in China or with Chinese academics. Many of the allegedly illicit 'activities' he supposedly failed to report were mundane and earnest efforts to help others such as writing letters of recommendation. My dad has devoted his life to education and the development of sustainable technologies for all of mankind. He moved to the US over 30 years ago with little other than a relentless determination to pursue the American dream. My dad is resolved to fight these charges because of the danger they represent to the broader academic community and all Chinese Americans. While MIT has agreed to pay my father’s legal expenses, there will undoubtedly be additional expenses for our family that extend beyond this agreement. We greatly appreciate any help. If we are fortunate enough to have any unused funds by the end of this long process, they will be donated to an appropriate charitable organization that handles similar cases."
On January 14, 2021, MIT President Rahfael Reif issued a statement expressing deep distressed by the arrest of Professor Chen in the morning.
Professor Chen is a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in China. His doctoral advisor was Professor Chang-lin Tien, the seventh Chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley (1990–1997) and the first Asian to head a major university in the United States. He is a mechanical engineer and nanotechnologist.
With Professor Chen's case, the government continues its pattern of profiling and criminalizing Chinese American scientists and researchers by fueling xenophobia and using the pretext of combating economic espionage. The current pattern may be traced to the initial indictment of Kansas University Professor Franklin Tao in August 2019. Missing in these cases is any allegation that the professors and researchers actually shared any prohibited technology or intellectual property with a Chinese entity. The bottom line is that these professors are having their lives and reputations ruined over what amounts to possible paperwork errors.
Links and References
MIT Professor Gang Chen faculty web page
2022/04/13 NCUSCR: Gang Chen’s Story and the End of the China Initiative
2022/01/28 WBUR/NPR: Prof. Gang Chen: China Initiative had a 'chilling effect' that 'terrified the science community'
Politico: Report details collapse of China Initiative case
2022/01/26 Wall Street Journal: MIT Professor Gang Chen Says Misunderstanding Lay at Root of U.S. Case
Human Rights Committee of NASEM: Case against U.S. Engineering Professor Gang Chen Is Dismissed
2022/01/25 New York Times: ‘In the End, You’re Treated Like a Spy,’ Says M.I.T. Scientist
New York Times (dual language/中英双语): “我们在残害我们自己”：华裔教授陈刚案背后的愤怒与幻灭/‘In the End, You’re Treated Like a Spy,’ Says M.I.T. Scientist
纽约时报: “我们在残害我们自己”：华裔教授陈刚案背后的愤怒与幻灭
紐約時報:「我們在殘害我們自己」：華裔教授陳剛案背後的憤怒與幻滅
Axios: DOJ's China Initiative under scrutiny as cases fall apart
Science: U.S. prosecutors said an MIT scientist hid his China ties. Here’s why their case collapsed
2022/01/23 Ohio Chinese American Association: MIT陈刚教授自述
2022/01/22 UCA: Statement on DOJ’s Decision to Drop All Charges Against Professor Gang Chen
2022/01/21 Inside Higher Ed: U.S. Dismisses Charges Against MIT Professor
Chemistry World opinion: What next for the US’s China Initiative after the case against MIT’s Gang Chen falls apart?
South China Morning Post: US drops charges against Gang Chen, MIT professor accused of lying about China ties
Boston Globe opinion: I was arrested under the DOJ's China Initiative. Congress must investigate the program.
Law and Crime: Feds Say ‘Interests of Justice’ Require Dropping Charges Against MIT Professor Accused of Lying About Connections to China
2022/01/20 DOJ: Statement from U.S. Attorney Rachael S. Rollins on the Dismissal of the Gang Chen Case
AP: US drops case against MIT professor accused of ties to China
MIT Technology Review: All charges against China Initiative defendant Gang Chen have been dismissed
Bloomberg: U.S. Drops Charges Against MIT Professor Over China Ties
Axio: Feds move to drop fraud charges against MIT professor
Reuters: U.S. drops criminal case against MIT professor over China ties
New York Times: U.S. Drops Its Case Against M.I.T. Scientist Accused of Hiding China Links
Boston Herald: Feds drop case against Gang Chen, MIT professor accused of ties to China
MIT Office of The President: Welcome news re. Professor Gang Chen
Committee of 100: On the Dismissal of All Federal Charges Against MIT Professor Gang Chen
2022/01/15 MIT Technology Review: In a further blow to the China Initiative, prosecutors move to dismiss a high-profile case
South China Morning Post: US to end case against Gang Chen, MIT scientist accused of hiding ties to China
2022/01/14 Wall Street Journal: Prosecutors Recommend Dropping Case Over China Ties Against MIT Scientist
AP: Prosecutors recommend dropping charges against MIT professor
Reuters: U.S. prosecutors recommend dropping case against MIT professor over China ties -source
Bloomberg: MIT Professor’s Case Over China Poised to Be Dropped by U.S.
Washington Post: In high-profile case against MIT’s Gang Chen, prosecutors seeking to drop charges
2021/12/20 Wall Street Journal: The U.S. Pursued Professors Working With China. Cases Are Faltering.
2021/07/06 Reuters: MIT professor loses bid to sanction former U.S. Attorney Lelling
2021/06/29 MIT Technology Review: We are all Gang Chen
2021/03/12 Vice: The US Is Building Walls Around Science, and We’re All Poorer for It
2021/02/11 Chris Dames: In defense of Gang Chen — in defense of academic freedom
2021/02/08 The Daily Northwestern: Materials science Prof. Jeff Snyder petitions arrest of MIT colleague
Stanford Today: Statement in support of Stanford’s international students and scholars
2021/02/04 Case 1:21-cr-10018: Motion for Sanctions for U.S. Attorney Lelling’s Repeated Violations of Local Rule 83.2.1
The Chronicle of Higher Education: Charges Against MIT Professor Underscore Geopolitical Risks of International Collaborations
2021/02/01 Jeff Snyder: We are all Gang Chen petition
2021/01-02 MIT Faculty Newsletter: Vol. XXXIII No. 3 January/February 2021
2021/01/30 University World News: Scrutiny of Chinese researchers threatens innovation
2021/01/29 WBUR: MIT Faculty Rally Around Professor Charged With Concealing China Ties
2021/01/28 Chemistry World: MIT faculty rally around colleague arrested for Chinese government links
2021/01/26 New York Times: A Scientist Is Arrested, and Academics Push Back
2021/01/25 Conversation: Intense scrutiny of Chinese-born researchers in the US threatens innovation
WSWS.com: MIT faculty defend professor against trumped-up charges related to China ties
Change.org: We are all Gang Chen
2021/01/22 知识分子: MIT教授联名信：对陈刚的大部分指控是对我们全体MIT教授的指控
Wall Street Journal: Justice Department Weighs Amnesty for Academics to Disclose Foreign Funding
MIT President Raphael Reif: Letter to the community re. SUSTECH Relationship and Professor Chen
Boston Globe: MIT president and faculty members defend professor arrested for China ties
SupChina: MIT professors object to arrest of Chen Gang for failing to disclose China ties
Twitter @zhigangsuo: We are all Gang Chen - 100 faculty members' letter to President Raphael Reif
2021/01/21 Letter from MIT Professors to MIT President Raphael Reif
GoFundMe: Support MIT Professor Gang Chen
MIT Chinese Students and Scholars Association: Concern about the Arrest of Dr. Gang Chen
2021/01/20 DOJ: MIT Professor Indicted on Charges Relating to Grant Fraud
2021/01/18 Chemistry World: MIT nanotechnologist arrested for hiding his ties to China
2021/01/17 Twitter @MargaretKLewis: "To be clear, Chen is not accused of transmitting classified information."
2021/01/16 饶议科学: 致MIT校长副校长的信：抬起头颅 直起脊梁
2021/01/14 DOJ: MIT Professor Arrested and Charged with Grant Fraud
Reuters: U.S. charges MIT professor with grant fraud over hidden Chinese ties
MIT President Raphael Reif: Distressing news about Professor Gang Chen
AP: MIT professor charged with hiding work for China
WWLP: MIT professor arrested and charged with grant fraud
Wall Street Journal: U.S. Accuses MIT Professor of Hiding Extensive China Ties in Federal Grant Application
Bloomberg: MIT Professor Is Accused of Hiding Millions in China Grants
2021/01/13 Case 1:21-mj-01011 Document 4-1: Affidavit of FBI Special Agent