Georgia Tech Retreats from China

The Georgia Institute of Technology announced it is shuttering its Shenzhen campus and closing a chapter of educational cooperation in the “China’s Silicon Valley” dating back to 1984.

In December 2016, Georgia Tech entered into an agreement with Tianjin University and the Shenzhen Municipal Government to establish Georgia Tech Shenzhen Institute (GTSI) in the city of Shenzhen.   December 2020 partner Tianjin University was placed on the Commerce Department’s Entity list for significant ties to the Chinese military, leading to a scaling back of the two schools partnership plans.

"Georgia Tech decided not to launch a planned Ph.D. program and capped the number of GTSI students at 10% of the original intent. To date, Tianjin University remains on the Entity List, making Georgia Tech’s participation with Tianjin University, and subsequently GTSI, no longer tenable" the Iniversity said in a statement.

In May 2024 House Republicans led by Rep. John Moolenar raised concerns regarding the partnership with Tianjin University, citing the millions of dollars that Georgia Tech accepted from the Chinese to support its partnership with the university. [12191]

Georgia Tech is home to the Georgia Tech Research Institute, whose mission is to solve national security problems with the Department of Defense.   The lawmakers decried Georgia Tech’s use of its Department of Defense research institute to fund sensitive research with Tianjin University.

Last month the school faced separate charges that it failed to meet cybersecurity requirements in connection with the Department of Defense (DoD) contracts. [12688]