Scientific asylum offered as Trump-era policies push US researchers to flee

Express Tribune

25-03-2025

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As US researchers grapple with sweeping funding cuts, ideological crackdowns, and mounting political interference under President Donald Trump's second term, a growing number of European universities are offering them what some have dubbed 'scientific asylum.'
At the forefront is Belgium's Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), which has opened 12 postdoctoral positions specifically aimed at attracting international researchers, with a focus on Americans. The initiative comes in response to what the university calls the 'serious and escalating' suppression of research in the United States.
'We see it as our duty to come to the aid of our American colleagues,' said VUB rector Jan Danckaert. 'They're seeing millions in research funding disappear for ideological reasons. American universities and their researchers are the biggest victims of this political and ideological interference.'
Since Trump returned to power in January, US federal agencies including NASA, the CDC, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have faced budget freezes, hiring cuts, and re-evaluations of projects deemed to promote 'wokeism.' Keywords like 'diversity,' 'climate change,' and 'women's health' are reported to be under scrutiny in federal research funding applications.
The situation has alarmed scientists globally—and opened a door for European institutions.
France's prestigious Pasteur Institute has joined the effort. Its director, Yasmine Belkaid, said she receives daily inquiries from researchers—many of them American or European expats—looking to relocate. 'You might call it a sad opportunity, but it is an opportunity, all the same,' she said.
The French government has responded swiftly. Higher Education Minister Philippe Baptiste urged national research institutions to send proposals for attracting US talent. 'Many well-known researchers are already questioning their future in the US,' Baptiste wrote in an open letter. 'Naturally, we wish to welcome a certain number of them.'
In the Netherlands, Education Minister Eppo Bruins announced plans to launch a dedicated fund to lure international researchers, citing a 'changing geopolitical climate' that is driving top scientific talent to seek more stable environments.
France's Aix-Marseille University has already launched a €15 million programme titled Safe Place for Science, offering three-year placements for over two dozen US-based researchers. Within two weeks of the programme's announcement, the university received about 100 applications, including from researchers at Yale, NASA, and Stanford.
'We wish we didn't have to do this,' said university president Éric Berton. 'We're not looking to poach talent—but we felt our colleagues in the US were going through a catastrophe. We had to act.'
Many applicants specialise in fields now under political scrutiny in the US, such as climate change, public health, and social justice. Applications continue to arrive daily, according to Berton.
The trend echoes a broader shift. European institutions are not only seeking individuals but may soon become a haven for US campuses themselves. Dozens of American universities already operate satellite campuses across Europe. Experts suggest these institutions may expand operations abroad if domestic conditions worsen.
In Brussels, VUB's initiative carries symbolic weight. In 2016, Trump famously described the Belgian capital as a 'hellhole' on Fox News. 'At the time, the statement elicited emotional reactions in Europe,' the university noted. 'This gives additional symbolic meaning to the VUB initiative.'
For many, these efforts represent more than academic opportunity—they're about protecting the integrity of research. Christina Pagel, a German-British professor at University College London, described the US situation as 'not chaos, but coordinated.' She said the administration's actions are aimed at aligning science with state ideology, undermining independence, and suppressing dissent.
As the US battles over the direction of its science and research sectors, European universities are positioning themselves as refuges for open inquiry and intellectual freedom. And for many American researchers, the message is clear: if you can't work freely at home, Europe is ready to welcome you.