AASF News – Asian American Scholar Forum

U.S. Government to Pay $1.8 Million in Damages to Wrongly Prosecuted Chinese American Scientist Sherry Chen in Historic Settlement

The Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF) is proud to announce it has welcomed Gisela Perez Kusakawa as its founding executive director to lead the organization in providing a voice for Asian American scientists, researchers, and scholars across the country. AASF endeavors to protect the rights of Asian Americans and immigrants and promote academic belonging, openness, freedom, and equality for all.

AASF Webinar: The Chilling Effect & Fears of Chinese-American Scientists and the Implications to U.S. Science and Technology: A Nationwide Study

Click to watch the webinar recording.
In this webinar, the researchers who conducted the study entitled “Caught in the Crossfire: Fears of Chinese-American Scientists” will present their findings and we will hear from prominent speakers on the implications of these findings. Congresswoman Judy Chu will provide a keynote.

Asian American Scholar Forum Appoints Gisela Perez Kusakawa as its First Executive Director

New Report Showcases Climate of Fear Among Asian-Origin Scientists and Researchers

Today, the Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF) released a report, “Caught in the Crossfire: Fears of Chinese-American Scientists,” with data that shows a growing number of Chinese-origin American academics leaving the United States and switching from U.S. to Chinese affiliations. The research shows the chilling effect of potential federal investigation and prosecution since the U.S. Department of Justice’s “China Initiative,” which launched in 2018.

Caught in the Crossfire: Fears of Chinese-American Scientists

Asian American Scholar Forum data shows decline in scientists of Asian descent staying in the U.S. and likelihood of pursuing federal funding due to climate of fear.

Asian American Scholar Forum Calls for Justice for Dr. Xiaoxing Xi Ahead of Third Circuit Oral Arguments

This morning, oral arguments will be heard by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit for Dr. Xiaoxing Xi, a physics professor at Temple University and an internationally recognized expert in superconducting technology, after a federal court in Pennsylvania in April 2021 dismissed claims brought by Dr. Xi and his family against the U.S. government and the FBI agent involved in wrongly investigating and prosecuting him.

Asian American Scholar Forum Commends Gang Chen, Once Targeted by the China Initiative, on Landmark Scientific Discovery

Washington, D.C.– Professor Gang Chen, the former head of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, has led a team to discover what is said to be the best semiconductor ever found, performing better than silicon at conducting heat and electricity. This discovery opens up new possibilities for smaller and faster chips.

Recommendations for OSTP’s Guidance for Implementing NSPM-33 on National Security Strategy for US Government-Supported Research and Development

In January 2022, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) published the implementation guide for NSPM-33.

In April 2022, five Asian American scholar organizations presented the following recommendations to the OSTP Subcommittee on Research Security, National Science and Technology Council.

AASF Webinar: The Rise of Chinese Universities towards World Class: Perspectives from Several American Scholars

Click to see details of AASF’s 5/21/2022 webinar, in which three American scholars who have been involved in the development efforts will give us their perspectives on the rise of Chinese universities towards world class.

Asian American Scholar Forum Welcomes the End of China Initiative

The Asian American Scholar Forum appreciates that the DOJ heard the voices and concerns of the scientific and the Asian American communities. We support the new strategy and welcome the termination of a flawed program that targeted scientists based on national heritage.