麻省理工學院校長致信全校：移民如同氧氣！

麻省理工校長 L. Rafael Reif 在 6月25日致信全校全體成員：由於美中兩國之間的關係愈發緊張，美國政府對個人學術間諜，進而普遍認為中國通過收購高科技知識產權進行系統性的學術間諜事件，而表示嚴重關切。

我相信，因為我們將他們視為朋友和同事，所以他們的處境以及更大的國家背景，也應該關係到我們所有人。我不得不為關於麻省理工學院的華裔社區成員所遭受的痛苦境況而感到沮喪。

L. Rafael Reif 英文原稿

To the members of the MIT community,

MIT has flourished, like the United States itself, because it has been a magnet for the world』s finest talent, a global laboratory where people from every culture and background inspire each other and invent the future, together.

Today, I feel compelled to share my dismay about some circumstances painfully relevant to our fellow MIT community members of Chinese descent. And I believe that because we treasure them as friends and colleagues, their situation and its larger national context should concern us all.

The situation

As the US and China have struggled with rising tensions, the US government has raised serious concerns about incidents of alleged academic espionage conducted by individuals through what is widely understood as a systematic effort of the Chinese government to acquire high-tech IP.

As head of an institute that includes MIT Lincoln Laboratory, I could not take national security more seriously. I am well aware of the risks of academic espionage, and MIT has established prudent policies to protect against such breaches.

But in managing these risks, we must take great care not to create a toxic atmosphere of unfounded suspicion and fear. Looking at cases across the nation, small numbers of researchers of Chinese background may indeed have acted in bad faith, but they are the exception and very far from the rule. Yet faculty members, post-docs, research staff and students tell me that, in their dealings with government agencies, they now feel unfairly scrutinized, stigmatized and on edge – because of their Chinese ethnicity alone.

Nothing could be further from – or more corrosive to -– our community』s collaborative strength and open-hearted ideals. To hear such reports from Chinese and Chinese-American colleagues is heartbreaking. As scholars, teachers, mentors, inventors and entrepreneurs, they have been not only exemplary members of our community but exceptional contributors to American society. I am deeply troubled that they feel themselves repaid with generalized mistrust and disrespect.

The signal to the world

For those of us who know firsthand the immense value of MIT』s global community and of the free flow of scientific ideas, it is important to understand the distress of these colleagues as part of an increasingly loud signal the US is sending to the world.

Protracted visa delays. Harsh rhetoric against most immigrants and a range of other groups, because of religion, race, ethnicity or national origin. Together, such actions and policies have turned the volume all the way up on the message that the US is closing the door – that we no longer seek to be a magnet for the world』s most driven and creative individuals. I believe this message is not consistent with how America has succeeded. I am certain it is not how the Institute has succeeded. And we should expect it to have serious long-term costs for the nation and for MIT.

For the record, let me say with warmth and enthusiasm to every member of MIT』s intensely global community: We are glad, proud and fortunate to have you with us! To our alumni around the world: We remain one community, united by our shared values and ideals! And to all the rising talent out there: If you are passionate about making a better world, and if you dream of joining our community, we welcome your creativity, we welcome your unstoppable energy and aspiration – and we hope you can find a way to join us.

* * *

In May, the world lost a brilliant creative force: architect I.M. Pei, MIT Class of 1940. Raised in Shanghai and Hong Kong, he came to the United States at 17 to seek an education. He left a legacy of iconic buildings from Boston to Paris and China to Washington, DC, as well on our own campus. By his own account, he consciously stayed alive to his Chinese roots all his life. Yet, when he died at the age of 102, the Boston Globe described him as 「the most prominent American architect of his generation.」

Thanks to the inspired American system that also made room for me as an immigrant, all of those facts can be true at the same time.

As I have discovered through 40 years in academia, the hidden strength of a university is that every fall, it is refreshed by a new tide of students. I am equally convinced that part of the genius of America is that it is continually refreshed by immigration – by the passionate energy, audacity, ingenuity and drive of people hungry for a better life.

There is certainly room for a wide range of serious positions on the actions necessary to ensure our national security and to manage and improve our nation』s immigration system. But above the noise of the current moment, the signal I believe we should be sending, loud and clear, is that the story of American immigration is essential to understanding how the US became, and remains, optimistic, open-minded, innovative and prosperous – a story of never-ending renewal.

In a nation like ours, immigration is a kind of oxygen, each fresh wave reenergizing the body as a whole. As a society, when we offer immigrants the gift of opportunity, we receive in return vital fuel for our shared future. I trust that this wisdom will always guide us in the life and work of MIT. And I hope it can continue to guide our nation.

Sincerely,

L. Rafael Reif

中文翻譯 | 趙亞傑；來源 | 知識分子

致麻省理工學院的社區成員：

麻省理工學院像美國一樣蓬勃發展，因為它像磁鐵一樣吸引了世界上最優秀的人才，同時作為一個全球化的實驗室，來自不同文化和背景的人們互相激勵，共同創造未來。

今天，我不得不為關於麻省理工學院的華裔社區成員所遭受的痛苦境況而感到沮喪。我相信，因為我們將他們視為朋友和同事，所以他們的處境以及更大的國家背景，也應該關係到我們所有人。

情況

由於美中兩國之間的關係愈發緊張，美國政府對個人學術間諜，進而普遍認為中國通過收購高科技知識產權進行系統性的學術間諜事件，而表示嚴重關切。

作為包括麻省理工學院林肯實驗室在內的研究所的所長，我已經不能更認真地對待國家安全了。我很清楚學術間諜活動的風險，而麻省理工學院也已經制定了謹慎的政策來防範此類違規行為。

但在管理這些風險時，我們必須非常小心，不要製造一種毫無根據的懷疑和恐懼的有毒氣氛。從全國各地的案例來看，儘管少數具有中國背景的研究人員可能確實是出於惡意行事，但他們是例外，而且遠遠偏離了規則。然而，教師，博士後，研究人員和學生卻告訴我，在他們與政府機構打交道時，他們現在感覺到他們受到不公正的審查，同時感到恥辱和緊張- 僅僅只是因為他們的中國背景。

沒有比這個更加偏離、甚至是在腐蝕我們社區的協作力量和開放的理想的了，華人和華裔同事的這些報道令人心碎。作為學者，教師，導師，發明家和企業家，他們不僅是我們社區的典範成員，也是美國社會的傑出貢獻者，但是令我深感困擾的是他們感到自己得到的是回報卻是普遍的不信任和不尊重。

向世界發出的信號

對於我們這些直接了解麻省理工學院作為全球社區以及科學思想自由流動的巨大價值的人來說，了解這些同事的痛苦是美國向世界傳達的越來越響亮的口號的一部分是非常重要的。

這些行為包括長期簽證延誤、由於宗教，種族，民族或血統而對大多數移民和其他一系列群體的嚴厲言論。總而言之，這些行動和政策已經把美國要關閉大門的聲音調到了最高。我們不再尋求吸引世界上最具驅動力和創造力的個人。我相信這個信息與美國的成功方式並不一致。我也確信研究院所的成功並非源於此。我們同時還應該考慮它為國家和麻省理工學院帶來的嚴重的長期成本。

在此我要鄭重聲明，

對於麻省理工學院全球社區的每一位成員，我想充滿善意與熱情的對你們說：我們很高興，自豪和幸運地擁有你們！

對於我們全世界的校友：我們仍然是團結在共同的價值觀和理想之下的社區！

對於所有嶄露頭角的人才：如果你熱衷於創造一個更美好的世界，如果你夢想加入我們的社區，我們歡迎你的創造力，我們歡迎你不可阻擋的能量和願望。我們也希望你能找到一條加入我們的路！

* * *

5月，世界失去了一位傑出的創作巨匠：麻省理工學院1940級畢業生建築師貝聿銘。他在上海和香港長大，17歲時來到美國尋求教育。他留下的標誌性的建築遺產分布在從波士頓到巴黎、從中國的到華盛頓特區的各個地方，以及我們自己的校園。按照他自己的說法，他一生都和自己的中國根基保持著密不可分的聯繫。然而，當他在102歲時去世時，波士頓環球報將他形容為「他那一代最傑出的美國建築師。」

幸虧美國鼓舞人心的制度也為作為移民的我創造了空間，所以所有這些事實可以同時都是真實的。

正如我在我四十年的學術生涯中發現的那樣，大學隱藏的力量是每一個秋天它都會被新的一批的學生所更新。我同樣相信，美國精神的一部分也在被移民通過他們充滿激情的能量、大膽、聰明才智和渴望更美好生活的動力而不斷更新。

在確保我們的國家安全以及管理和改善我們國家的移民系統所必需的行動方面，肯定有很多重要方面需要考慮。但在當前時刻的噪音之中，我相信我們應該發出響亮而清晰的信號，美國移民的故事對於理解美國如何成為並保持樂觀、開放、創新和繁榮至關重要，而這個故事也是永無止境不斷更新的。

在像我們這樣的國家，移民如同氧氣，而每次吸入新鮮氧氣都會使整個身體重新獲得能量。作為一個社會，當我們贈予移民以機會，我們都會得到對於我們共有的未來至關重要的燃料。我相信這種智慧將永遠在麻省理工學院的生活和工作中引導我們。我也希望它能夠繼續指導我們的國家。

真誠的，

雷歐·拉斐爾·萊夫

喜歡這篇文章嗎？立刻分享出去讓更多人知道吧！