India, March 18 -- One of the world's top mathematicians has decided to leave the United States after 15 years, moving base to Hong Kong instead. Fields Medalist Ngo Bao Chau said his decision to quit the US was rooted in the country's declining academic culture and the current political climate. He also said he wanted to see Asia transform into the next powerhouse for maths and science.

In a piece published in the South China Morning Post, Ngo, who has been teaching at the University of Chicago since 2010, said that "many things" he did not like were happening in the US.

Asia as the next power centre

"I want Asia to be the next America or the next Europe [as] a place where science and mathematics strive," said the 54-year-old in an in...