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‘This is an unhealthy environment’: Arctic researcher Li Xueke leaves the US for Hong Kong

For climate scientist Li Xueke, the decision to leave the University of Pennsylvania for Hong Kong was a pivot to the front lines of the…

By Samantha Johnson / June 27, 2026

For climate scientist Li Xueke, the decision to leave the University of Pennsylvania for Hong Kong was a pivot to the front lines of the global green economy.

As climate change turns the Arctic into a seasonally navigable ocean, Li’s research on critical new shipping routes could shed light on the economic impacts of a warming planet.

Li joined City University of Hong Kong (CityU) last month as an assistant professor in the school of energy and environment, following a decade of study and work in the United States.

“For me, the most important thing for Hong Kong and what attracts me most is its strategic position at the intersection of climate science, innovation and global connectivity,” Li said.

“As a climate scientist trying to address this global climate challenge, it is hard for me to imagine a more exciting place to be right now.”

Li is among a growing cohort of researchers moving to Asia as the American research environment faces rising political and financial tensions, with US President Donald Trump terminating grants for climate-related research projects and trying to dismantle a top federally funded climate research centre.

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