Jason Chapman, Elite Insect Specialist, Chooses China for Next Career Move

It’s not just insects that are migrating these days—scientists are too. One of the world’s foremost experts on insect migration, British behavioural ecologist Jason Chapman, has recently made a professional leap that speaks volumes about the shifting global dynamics of science and technology. After decades of groundbreaking work in the UK, Chapman has now joined China’s Nanjing Agricultural University (NJAU) full-time, drawn by world-class research conditions, state-of-the-art radar systems, and an unmatched national focus on agricultural science.

As reported by NJAU and detailed in a recent university publication, Chapman—who was previously based at the University of Exeter—said the decision was not taken lightly. But with stronger research funding, cutting-edge entomological radar technology, and a highly collaborative scientific environment, China’s offer proved “too good to refuse.” Chapman’s move underscores a broader trend: the emergence of China as a dominant force in natural sciences, particularly in radar entomology.

China’s edge lies in a field few outside academia have heard of—entomological radar—an advanced technology capable of tracking tiny flying insects over long distances. This technology, which is essential for understanding insect migration and protecting agricultural yields, has only been mastered by two groups globally: one in the UK, and one in Australia. But that’s rapidly changing, thanks to China’s relentless investment in science.

“China is now certainly the world leader in radar entomology, with many people working in this field,” Chapman noted. He first ventured into radar-based insect studies in 1999 at Rothamsted Research in Britain, one of the earliest labs exploring this niche. Since then, he’s authored over 140 scientific papers, helped establish the European Network for the Radar Surveillance of Animal Movement, and worked to bridge academic collaboration between the UK and China.

Chapman’s association with NJAU isn’t new. Since 2016, he’s visited the university nearly two dozen times, was made a visiting professor in 2017, and led international seminars to popularise entomological radar in China. But his full-time appointment in June 2025 marks a milestone—not only in his career but in China’s ascendancy in global science.

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A key driver behind this move is funding. Chapman was recruited under the prestigious Changjiang Scholars Programme, a high-level talent initiative by China’s Ministry of Education that offers generous research grants. NJAU itself has also pledged ongoing support to his team, which will operate within a highly capable and well-funded insect migration research group.

“China’s commitment to agricultural research is serious,” Chapman said. “Migratory insect pests pose a much more significant threat to food security and economic stability in China than in the UK, so research on these species is vitally important.”

Understanding how insects migrate helps scientists predict pest outbreaks, minimise crop damage, and design smarter pest control systems—an urgent priority for a country with the world’s largest agricultural workforce and population to feed.

At a recent welcome ceremony, Zhu Yan, Vice President of NJAU, celebrated Chapman’s arrival and said the university would provide “first-class research conditions and a first-class platform.” She also expressed hope that Chapman’s work would advance urgent issues like food security, climate change adaptation, and the development of smart agriculture.

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But while China is gaining ground, Chapman hasn’t forgotten Britain’s historic role. He notes that entomological radar’s foundations lie in British defence research. The first radar system, developed in 1935 by Sir Robert Watson-Watt, was originally meant to detect enemy aircraft during World War II. Later, UK researchers adapted the technology to study insects, a field Chapman helped expand.

By the early 2000s, China began catching up. Researchers at the Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, in collaboration with a radar company in Jiangsu province, developed and commercialised their own insect-tracking radar. Since then, the field has flourished in China, with a growing number of local scientists publishing in international journals and pushing the boundaries of what this technology can do.

Chapman, now at the heart of this momentum, is optimistic about the road ahead. Though building radar capable of tracking creatures as small as insects is “technically very challenging,” he says that the rewards—both scientific and practical—are enormous.

His move is also symbolic. It reflects how international research careers are increasingly guided not just by national allegiance but by opportunities to work where innovation is thriving. And right now, for radar entomology and insect migration science, that place is China.