If US doesn't want Harvard, somebody else will
In the 1930s and 1940s, America played a crucial role in keeping academic inquiry alive. By welcoming thousands of researchers fleeing fascism in Europe, it enhanced its national brainpower and fostered breakthroughs of immense value to people everywhere — from the digital computer to the discovery of DNA.
Now it's in the process of throwing that priceless legacy away. If wiser minds don't prevail, one can only hope Europe and others will step into the breach.
Establishing itself as a haven of academic freedom was among the smartest moves the US ever made. Its unrivaled collection of research universities attracts top global talent, fostering innovation that enriches the nation.
By some estimates, each dollar spent on research and development generates $5 or more in social benefits, such as higher productivity and better living standards. It's by far the most profitable form of public investment.
Yet the White House now seems bent on destruction. Citing (among other things) rising antisemitism on college campuses, it has withheld billions of dollars from the likes of Harvard and Columbia, forcing them to terminate projects, lay off researchers and limit graduate-school admissions.
It has proposed tens of billions in budget cuts at federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. It has detained foreign academics and — most recently — sought to block enrollment of international students.
The repercussions promise to be devastating. The economic damage could exceed that of the recession of 2008. Projects in areas ranging from climate science to medicine have shut down. An exodus looms: Three-fourths of U.S.-based scientists who responded to a recent Nature poll said they were seeking a way out, with Europe and Canada the top destinations. By one estimate, up to a fifth of postdoctoral students at elite US universities have studied in the European Union and hence might be amenable to moving.
Rival research centers are jumping at the opportunity. As Bloomberg News has reported, countries including Australia, Canada, Denmark and Norway are offering funding, streamlined visas and other perks to lure top academics. Germany has invited Harvard to set up an 'exile campus.' The EU has launched a €500 million 'Choose Europe' programme.
These efforts are welcome, to the extent that they keep crucial work going. Yet the funds so far committed pale in comparison to the potential cuts in the US. If America abdicates, Europe in particular will need to be much more ambitious.
A better option would be for the US to come to its senses. Legislators should reject the false economy of slashing public research funding. Courts should issue injunctions where the administration's actions have violated the law or the Constitution, as they plainly have in several cases. Researchers, alumni and industry groups should alert the public to the scale of potential damage ahead.
Universities, for their part, might consider some introspection. Although the administration's actions are nuts, it's true that too many schools have indulged antisemitic protesters who have created chaos on campus, obstructed learning and menaced their fellow students. Imposing zero-tolerance policies for such disruption might placate the White House; it's also the right thing to do.
Amid the chaos, researchers will need to do their jobs as best they can. It'd be a truly spectacular act of self-harm if America managed to trigger an exodus of talent back across the Atlantic. If other countries rise to the occasion, its loss will be their gain.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gulf Today
5 hours ago
- Gulf Today
If US doesn't want Harvard, somebody else will
In the 1930s and 1940s, America played a crucial role in keeping academic inquiry alive. By welcoming thousands of researchers fleeing fascism in Europe, it enhanced its national brainpower and fostered breakthroughs of immense value to people everywhere — from the digital computer to the discovery of DNA. Now it's in the process of throwing that priceless legacy away. If wiser minds don't prevail, one can only hope Europe and others will step into the breach. Establishing itself as a haven of academic freedom was among the smartest moves the US ever made. Its unrivaled collection of research universities attracts top global talent, fostering innovation that enriches the nation. By some estimates, each dollar spent on research and development generates $5 or more in social benefits, such as higher productivity and better living standards. It's by far the most profitable form of public investment. Yet the White House now seems bent on destruction. Citing (among other things) rising antisemitism on college campuses, it has withheld billions of dollars from the likes of Harvard and Columbia, forcing them to terminate projects, lay off researchers and limit graduate-school admissions. It has proposed tens of billions in budget cuts at federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. It has detained foreign academics and — most recently — sought to block enrollment of international students. The repercussions promise to be devastating. The economic damage could exceed that of the recession of 2008. Projects in areas ranging from climate science to medicine have shut down. An exodus looms: Three-fourths of U.S.-based scientists who responded to a recent Nature poll said they were seeking a way out, with Europe and Canada the top destinations. By one estimate, up to a fifth of postdoctoral students at elite US universities have studied in the European Union and hence might be amenable to moving. Rival research centers are jumping at the opportunity. As Bloomberg News has reported, countries including Australia, Canada, Denmark and Norway are offering funding, streamlined visas and other perks to lure top academics. Germany has invited Harvard to set up an 'exile campus.' The EU has launched a €500 million 'Choose Europe' programme. These efforts are welcome, to the extent that they keep crucial work going. Yet the funds so far committed pale in comparison to the potential cuts in the US. If America abdicates, Europe in particular will need to be much more ambitious. A better option would be for the US to come to its senses. Legislators should reject the false economy of slashing public research funding. Courts should issue injunctions where the administration's actions have violated the law or the Constitution, as they plainly have in several cases. Researchers, alumni and industry groups should alert the public to the scale of potential damage ahead. Universities, for their part, might consider some introspection. Although the administration's actions are nuts, it's true that too many schools have indulged antisemitic protesters who have created chaos on campus, obstructed learning and menaced their fellow students. Imposing zero-tolerance policies for such disruption might placate the White House; it's also the right thing to do. Amid the chaos, researchers will need to do their jobs as best they can. It'd be a truly spectacular act of self-harm if America managed to trigger an exodus of talent back across the Atlantic. If other countries rise to the occasion, its loss will be their gain.
Sharjah 24
9 hours ago
- Sharjah 24
Scientists rule out 'Planet X' in most suspected sky regions
Extensive survey with PAN-STARRS1 Telescope The findings come from a comprehensive survey of the outer solar system using the PAN-STARRS1 telescope in Hawaii. The results were published on the preprint server Broad search yields hundreds of small celestial bodies Led by Matthew Holman of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, the team conducted one of the most extensive searches to date for distant planetary objects. They identified 692 small celestial bodies, including 23 dwarf planets and 109 newly discovered objects. No trace of Planet X found Despite the wide-ranging search, no sign of a large ninth planet was detected. However, the survey significantly narrowed the potential location where Planet X could still exist. Innovative detection method The team developed a specialised algorithm to analyze images from 2009 to 2017. The PAN-STARRS1 telescope, typically used to detect fast-moving objects like asteroids, was repurposed to identify slow-moving bodies far from the Sun—those located at 80 AU or more. By cross-referencing known asteroid paths, the algorithm tracked motion in the distant solar system, but found no evidence of Planet X. Remaining search area near Milky Way plane The only region left unexamined is a narrow area near the plane of the Milky Way, which PAN-STARRS1 has not yet surveyed in detail due to the density of stars and dust. This region remains the final candidate for Planet X's possible location. Background: The Planet X hypothesis Interest in Planet X surged in 2016 after scientists Konstantin Batygin and Michael Brown proposed its existence. They suggested a Neptune-sized planet orbiting far beyond Pluto, at distances of at least 670 AU from the Sun. Scientific debate continues Despite multiple searches, no direct observation of Planet X has been made. This has led some astronomers to question its existence and investigate alternative explanations for the unusual gravitational patterns in the outer solar system.
Filipino Times
a day ago
- Filipino Times
House prosecutors press on with Duterte impeachment prep despite Senate doubts
The House prosecution team continues to prepare for the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, even as uncertainty looms over whether the Senate will push through with it, San Juan Rep. Ysabel Zamora said. Zamora, a member of the panel, expressed surprise over draft resolutions reportedly circulating in the Senate — including one from Sen. Ronald 'Bato' Dela Rosa — that aim to dismiss the impeachment case outright. 'The mere drafting of this document shows that they were willing to violate the Constitution, the supreme law of the land,' Zamora said. Despite the emerging doubts, Zamora said House prosecutors remain unfazed. 'We are not affected by what's going on in the Senate, the draft resolution, the comments that we hear from the senators,' she said, emphasizing that the House is simply fulfilling its constitutional mandate. 'They have no other duty or mandate but to hold trial.' House Assistant Majority Leader Zia Alonto Adiong of Lanao del Sur echoed the sentiment, warning that dismissing the case without trial would raise serious constitutional questions. 'It would open up the floodgates of constitutional concerns that would definitely not be beneficial to the country,' he said. While House prosecutors insist the case must proceed to trial, they also clarified that withdrawing the complaint is not on the table.
