Chen Peipei has relocated from the University of Cambridge to City University of Hong Kong to secure greater research autonomy and start-up grants. UK universities face a financial crisis that has reduced support for academic research.
Chen Peipei said having funds and a team to carry out research is hugely appealing. She noted that in Britain a teaching position rarely comes with research start-up funds, with new faculty members mostly expected to teach and left with little time to develop their own research.
British universities are grappling with a financial crisis. A recent survey by Universities UK found that nearly one third of the 48 responding member institutions had cut academic research activity in the past three years, more than double the 14 per cent reported in 2024.
The survey also found that 79 per cent of universities had pursued voluntary redundancies or put hiring freezes in place over the past three years. Institutions including the universities of Dundee, Sussex, Nottingham, Glasgow and Aberdeen have announced job-cut plans.