Nobel Prize-winning chemist Omar Yaghi leaves Berkeley to lead China's AI materials institute

Nobel Prize-Winning Chemist Omar Yaghi Joins Tsinghua University

Omar Yaghi, who shared the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, has departed his faculty position at the University of California, Berkeley, to lead a groundbreaking AI institute at Tsinghua University in Beijing 1

1

. The 61-year-old chemist was formally welcomed during an appointment ceremony on July 3, 2026, where the university described him as one of the world's foremost chemists 2

2

. Tsinghua University stated that Yaghi views this opportunity "not to slow down, not to repeat what has already been done, but to do science with more energy, more intensity, and more ambition than ever before" 1

1

.

AI Institute to Accelerate the Discovery of New Materials

At Tsinghua University, Yaghi will head a team focused on leveraging artificial intelligence to transform the design and synthesis of new materials, with the goal of shortening their development cycle "by orders of magnitude" 2

2

. During his appointment ceremony, Yaghi expressed his ambition to develop materials addressing major environmental challenges including water scarcity, carbon neutrality, and sustainable development 2

2

. The initiative represents a significant intersection of materials science and AI, positioning China at the forefront of this rapidly evolving field.

Pioneering Work in Metal-Organic Frameworks

Yaghi received his Nobel Prize for helping discover metal-organic frameworks, molecular building blocks assembled into structures with vast internal surface areas—the largest of any known substance 1

1

. These porous structures act like sponges that readily absorb, store, and release gases and vapors. The frameworks can harvest water from desert air, a breakthrough tested by Yaghi's students in the Mojave Desert in 2018, where a small passive harvester produced nearly three cups of pure, drinkable water daily 1

1

. This device is now nearing commercialization, demonstrating the practical applications of his theoretical work.

US Science Funding Cuts Drive Talent Migration

Yaghi's departure occurs amid the Trump administration's continuing disruptions of US science funding and China's efforts to woo international talent with hefty budgets 1

1

. Alessandra Zimmermann, a budget analyst at the American Association for the Advancement of Science, noted that China "is increasing its investment in science overall, including chemistry," and that the best measures of scientific accomplishment show China "has been outperforming the U.S. in top chemistry papers" 1

1

. Ram Seshadri, a professor at UC Santa Barbara, observed that China has "overtaken us in many areas of materials science and chemistry" and is "willing to invest very large sums of money to attract new talent" 1

1

.

Immigration Policies and Scientific Collaboration Under Scrutiny

Born in Amman, Jordan, to Palestinian refugees whose one-room home lacked electricity and running water, Yaghi moved to the United States at age 15 1

1

. Before receiving his Nobel Prize in Stockholm, Yaghi voiced concerns about Trump's immigration policies, stating they endanger the nation's system of universities, companies, and governments that promote scientific excellence 1

1

. "We have to know that people coming from different backgrounds improve the level for everybody involved," he said, adding that "great thinkers can improve not only the U.S. but the world" 1

1

. Last year, three of America's six science Nobel winners were born outside the country, with the émigré fraction for U.S. Nobels in physics, chemistry, and medicine standing at 40 percent this century 1

1

. Yaghi had longstanding ties with Tsinghua University, serving as an honorary professor since 2022, and is also a foreign member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences 2

2

. His move signals a broader shift in global scientific leadership as nations compete for top researchers in AI-driven discovery.