An increasing number of American scientists flee restrictive policies under Trump and find support in Europe, where institutions deploy the red carpet for displaced talents.
Fred Schwaller reports for Dw.
In short:
- Mass layoffs of the Trump administration and censorship in American scientific agencies have sparked a wave of uncertainty, many unemployed researchers or confronted with climate restrictions, vaccine and gender related research.
- Institutions such as the Max Planck company in Germany and the Aix-Marseille University of France actively recruit American scientists, with requests dubbing or tripled in certain cases.
- Europe, China and South Korea are all moving to rationalize visa and funding systems to attract American researchers, while demonstrations in the United States and Europe draw attention to the global interconnectivity of science.
Key quote:
“We can suddenly recruit talents that we could not have attracted in normal circumstances.”
– Patrick Cramer, president of the Max Planck Society
Why this counts:
Scientific scientific flight weakens public health, climatic research and preparation for diseases – from essential areas to human well -being. When the best scientists are pushed outside the American institutions, it is not only a national loss; Global research networks are suffering and public confidence in science takes another hit.
Find out more: An open letter from EPA staff to the American public