{
  "id": 12630341,
  "title": "India-born US citizen drives research into light at sanctioned Chinese school",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/india-born-us-citizen-drives-research-into-light-at-sanctioned",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-07T13:00:06.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "South China Morning Post",
    "slug": "south-china-morning-post",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3370070/india-born-us-citizen-drives-research-light-sanctioned-chinese-school"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Arup Neogi, an India-born scientist now residing in the United States, is conducting research at a university in China that is sanctioned by the US government. Neogi, whose expertise is in photonics – the study of generating, controlling and detecting light, leads a team at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC) in Chengdu.\n\nThe university, which boasts one of China's top electronics and communication programs, has been on the US \"Entity List\" since 2012. The listing was a result of accusations that the institution served as a proxy for the Chinese Academy of Engineering Physics, previously sanctioned due to its involvement in China's nuclear program.\n\nBorn in India, Neogi holds two doctorates – one from India and the other from Japan. He worked in the US for around two decades before becoming an American citizen in 2014. It was during this time that he began collaborating with UESTC and eventually joined the university full-time in 2022.\n\nReflecting on his experience working in China, Neogi told Chinese state media, \"Science has no borders.\" He emphasized the importance of cooperation in addressing global challenges like climate change.\n\nHis team at UESTC is working on developing photonic chips and nanophotonics, with a focus on manipulating sound using light for deep-sea communications and ultrasound imaging. For his significant contributions to China's development, Neogi was awarded the prestigious China Government Friendship Award in 2024.\n\nHis efforts extend beyond scientific research. Neogi has been instrumental in cultivating China's optical expertise by helping the university enroll several overseas researchers, assisting Chinese students in studying abroad, Chinese teachers in applying for international programs, and Chinese teachers in attending international conferences.",
  "summary": "“Science has no borders,” Arup Neogi, an India-born scientist who works at a US-sanctioned university, told Chinese state media. Neogi’s speciality is photonics, the study of generating, controlling and detecting light. At the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC) in the southwestern city of Chengdu, he leads a team exploring the interconnection between light and sound.…",
  "key_points": [
    "Arup Neogi, India-born US citizen, conducts photonics research at sanctioned Chinese university.",
    "Neogi's team focuses on photonic chips, nanophotonics, and sound manipulation using light."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Reuters Business via SCMP",
        "title": "India-born US citizen drives research into light at sanctioned Chinese school",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/india-born-us-citizen-drives-research-into-light-at-sanctioned-12631625",
        "published": "2026-10-07T13:00:06.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}