Consciousness expert Steven Laureys has joined Hangzhou Normal University, praising China's opportunities in science amid challenging times in the US. He highlights China's efficient resource unification and collaborative push.
Belgian neurologist Steven Laureys, a leading expert in consciousness studies, has taken up a position at Hangzhou Normal University. He is a professor at the University of Liege and an invited professor at Harvard. Laureys said: “There’s a wonderful opportunity for me to work with China. And I’m very happy that China is investing in science in these challenging times with [Donald] Trump, because I’m also an invited professor at Harvard. It’s good to see that we benefit from funding there.”
He praised China's organizational strength: “That’s the power of China – to have this political organisation where, when the decision is made, it happens. The unification of resources and pushing people to work together is very important.” Laureys noted an opportunity for Europe to respond, but the continent lacks a unified science policy.
In the 1990s, when Laureys began studying sleep and dreaming, consciousness was viewed as too subjective and messy—described by some leading scientists as a “black box”—and research funding was scarce. Today, with China's investments in neurology and consciousness disorders, Laureys sees new possibilities. The move highlights a trend of international scientists gravitating toward China amid uncertainties in the US science landscape. Hangzhou Normal University is in Zhejiang province and has ties to Alibaba founder Jack Ma, though specifics are unclear.
