US is facing brain drain. India must decide if it's ready to welcome back scholars
In the 1930s, many of the displaced scientists from Germany went on to make ground-breaking contributions—only now, on foreign soil. Among them, Albert Einstein, James Franck, and Erwin Schrodinger were already Nobel laureates, while five more won the Nobel Prize later for the work they did abroad. Their acceptance in the UK and the US was partly helped by dedicated organisations set up specifically to support their relocation. It is an undisputed fact that the innovation culture in the US and Western Europe in the post-war period led to their rapid economic growth, and this group of migrants played an important role in promoting such culture.
In recent times, reports have emerged that many academicians are looking to migrate from the US to other parts of the world. The present geopolitical situation may not be as grave, or as delicate as it was in 1933 Germany, but a perceived threat to academic freedom is prompting many academicians to consider relocating. A recent survey carried out by Nature magazine confirms that the brain drain may already be underway in the US. More than 75 per cent of a large number of scientists said that they were looking to move at the earliest opportunity.
The year 1933 witnessed the beginning of an exodus of scientists, academicians, and intellectuals from Germany. The scale of the exodus, and the quality of people who left Germany, mostly to the US and Western Europe, was so significant that they deeply influenced the development of Western Europe and America in the post-World War II period. History might repeat itself, again.
Inviting scholars to India
Interestingly, some of the leading academicians had even considered migrating to India in the 1930s. One such person was Max Born, who went on to win the Nobel Prize in physics in 1954 and was American physicist J Robert Oppenheimer's mentor. Born spent six months during 1935-1936 at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, at the invitation of Indian physicist CV Raman.
Raman had recently moved to IISc and was keen to attract global talent to the institute. When Raman offered Born to move to Bengaluru in 1935, initially for six months and later permanently, Born had no hesitation in accepting the invitation. Indeed, Born's six months in Bengaluru were marked by a series of lectures by him and deep academic discussions with Raman and his colleagues.
Similarly, when Pt Madan Mohan Malaviya understood the plight of intellectuals in Germany, foreseeing the immediate need to act, he offered Albert Einstein to visit the newly established Banaras Hindu University. This was in anticipation that Einstein would be pleased with the academic environment at the BHU, and eventually might be persuaded to accept a faculty position there. Both Raman and Malaviya had exceptional foresight on the contemporary situation and were willing to invite outstanding individuals to their institutions.
Also read: Who's responsible for the state of India's history? Propaganda, profits & influencers
US brain brain
If the brain drain does happen now, it could undermine the US' position as the world's most innovation-friendly country—and as its largest economy. Independent analysts have commented on both these aspects. Consequently, countries in Europe have taken swift action on the perceived brain drain from the US. For example, the French President Emmanuel Macron has already extended an open invitation to the best brains to relocate to France.
Is India prepared to accept a large number of talented academicians—and that too, at short notice? The situation in the 1930s was quite different than that of today. Back then, a few responsible individuals had the foresight and courage to make such decisions. Moreover, universities and institutions in India had just begun to be established, creating space and opportunity for many to find a place within them.
Despite this, Raman had faced serious hurdles in bringing Max Born on a long-term engagement. On the other hand, the academic organisations are much more mature now compared to the 1930s. The maturity has also brought unintended bureaucratic hurdles in spotting outstanding talent and offering positions in our institutions.
A new and innovative approach may be necessary if India truly wants to take advantage of the situation and attract the best global talent. The government can set up special-purpose mechanisms and rapidly implement decisions on exceptionally talented academics to return. Many newly established private universities, possibly free of the bureaucratic processes, may take the lead.
Undoubtedly, attracting such outstanding individuals, considering the current peculiar geopolitical situation, will only have a positive long-term impact on the growth of the Indian economy. Only time will tell if India seizes the opportunity or lets it slip away once again.
Shekhar C Mande is the retired Director General of CSIR and currently a professor at the Savitribai Phule Pune University. He tweets @shekhar_mande. Views are personal.
(Edited by Ratan Priya)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
37 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Harvard gains support from top US universities in Trump funding battle
A group of 18 leading US research universities, including Princeton, MIT, Caltech and Johns Hopkins, asked a federal judge for permission to file legal arguments in support of Harvard University in its high-stakes showdown with the Trump administration over more than $2 billion in frozen grant money. The institutions have all received millions of dollars from the federal government for research that has 'advanced scientific knowledge, safeguarded national security, strengthened the American economy, and saved countless lives,' they said in a court filing Friday in Harvard's lawsuit. Harvard sued in April, claiming the government freeze violates the university's First Amendment guarantee of free speech and federal law governing administrative rulemaking. The fight is part of a broad-based effort by President Donald Trump to force sweeping changes at Harvard and other elite US universities. The government has also frozen or is reviewing federal funding to Princeton, Cornell, Northwestern and Columbia universities, among others. Harvard claims in its suit, filed in Boston federal court, that the Trump administration illegally suspended its funding in retaliation for its refusal to bow to 'unconstitutional demands' to overhaul governance, discipline and hiring policies, as well as diversity programs. The president claims Harvard, the nation's oldest and richest university, has failed to combat antisemitism on campus and encourage viewpoint diversity. 'The cuts will disrupt ongoing research, ruin experiments and datasets, destroy the careers of aspiring scientists, and deter long-term investments at universities across the country,' the universities said in a request to file amicus curiae or 'friend of the court' arguments supporting Harvard's case against the government. The request to support Harvard also comes from Boston University, Brown University, Colorado State University, Dartmouth College, Michigan State University, Oregon State University, Rice University, Rutgers University, Tufts University, University of Maryland at College Park, University of Oregon, University of Pennsylvania, University of Pittsburgh and Yale University. A group of states led by Massachusetts, where Harvard is located, also asked to file arguments in support of the university on Friday. The case is President and Fellows of Harvard College v. US Department of Health and Human Services et al, 25-cv-11048, US District Court, District of Massachusetts (Boston).
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
Musk- Trump Feud Poses Serious Threat To NASA, Pentagon Programs: Report
New York: Elon Musk's threat, which he later retracted, to cut off NASA's use of SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft would be a huge blow to NASA, depriving the space agency of the only American vehicle capable of transporting astronauts to the International Space Station and dramatically changing how NASA would access the $100 billion orbiting laboratory, The Washington Post has reported. The threat, posted on X, came during an escalating fight between the wealthiest man in the world and President Donald Trump, after Trump had threatened to cancel all of Musk's company's federal contracts. "Given SpaceX's importance to multiple federal programs, severing those relationships could leave NASA as well as the Pentagon and intelligence agencies in a lurch," noted the report. Several hours after making the threat, Musk relented, saying in response to a post on X that he should cool off and reconsider: "Ok, we won't decommission Dragon." Over the years, SpaceX has become a vital contractor, launching sensitive national security payloads such as satellites that provide missile warning, battlefield communication and guide munitions to precise targets, Xinhua news agency reported. In a statement, Bethany Stevens, NASA's press secretary, did not address how NASA would continue to fly its astronauts to the ISS without SpaceX, writing only that "NASA will continue to execute upon the President's vision for the fulfillment of space. We will continue to work with our industry partners to ensure the President's objectives in space are met." Earlier Elon Musk called for the impeachment of US President Donald Trump and announced the decommissioning of the vital SpaceX programme after accusing that Trump's name is in the Epstein files, according to media reports. 'In light of the President's statement about cancellation of my government contracts, SpaceX will begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately,' Musk said in a post on X.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Mukesh Ambani to give Rs 151 crore grant to his alma mater ICT in Mumbai
Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries, has announced an unconditional grant of Rs 151 crore to his alma mater, the Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), Mumbai. The announcement was made during his visit to the institute for the launch event of a biography titled Divine Scientist, chronicling the life and work of his former mentor, Professor M.M. Sharma. Ambani, who graduated from the institute in the 1970s when it was known as the University Department of Chemical Technology (UDCT), paid tribute to Prof. Sharma. Recalling his first lecture, Ambani said it left a lasting impression on his academic and professional journey. He praised Prof. Sharma not only as an academic giant but also as a quiet architect of India's economic liberalisation. 'Like my father, Dhirubhai Ambani, he had a burning desire to transform Indian industry — from a system of scarcity to global leadership,' Ambani remarked. 'These two visionaries believed that science, technology, and private enterprise could open the gates to national prosperity,' he added. Ambani described Sharma as a 'Rashtra Guru – a Guru of Bharat,' and credited him for influencing policymakers to dismantle the license-permit raj, enabling Indian industries to scale up, reduce imports, and compete globally. The Rs 151 crore donation was made in honor of Prof. Sharma's request. 'When he tells us something, we just listen. We don't think. He told me, 'Mukesh, you have to do something big for ICT.' This is my Guru Dakshina,' Ambani said. The contribution is expected to significantly strengthen ICT's research infrastructure and global collaborations.
