European universities are offering ‘scientific asylum’ to US-based researchers fleeing Donald Trump’s crackdown on academia.
The White House administration’s attack on ‘wokeism’ has left research projects that are seen to involve ‘taboo topics’ such as diversity and the climate crisis out in the cold, while sweeping cuts to spending mean researchers at renowned institutions such as Nasa are facing redundancy.
But America’s loss could be a boon for Europe as its universities seek to mop up some of the transatlantic brain drain – and allow the experts to continue their valuable work.
Belgium’s Vrije Universiteit Brussel has opened 12 postdoctoral positions for international researchers, focusing on Americans, while the Pasteur Institute in Paris is headhunting infectious disease researchers.
France’s Aix-Marseille University has established a €15m (£12.55m) ‘safe place for science’ programme, which will fund 15 US researchers working in climate, environment, health and human sciences.
The Netherlands recently followed suit with the announcement of a similar fund to attract leading scientists in a number of fields. Meanwhile, the UK-based University of York is in its second year of welcoming persecuted researchers from across the world, via its sanctuary fund.
Yasmine Belkaid, president of the Pasteur Institute, told Positive News: “We encourage governments to fund ambitious attractiveness and mobility schemes to attract and welcome scientists based in the United States, particularly in the life sciences – thereby supporting those who, by defending science, are protecting our societies.
“At this troubled time, when values and ideals are threatened, Louis Pasteur’s motto ‘science belongs to humanity’, must be defended more than ever.”
Image: Éléa Ropiot, Aix-Marseille Université
