Swedish minister calls in universities to discuss recruiting US researchers
Sweden's education minister on Thursday held a roundtable with nine Swedish universities to plan how best to attract US students and researchers affected by the cuts, censorship and ideological control imposed by the administration of US President Donald Trump.
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"The development we are seeing in the US with cuts to state-funded research is deeply worrying. Now some of the world's most prominent research hubs are under threat, and the future of researchers is at stake," Education Minister Johan Pehrson said in a press statement issued before the meeting.
"At the same time, this opens a window for Sweden. We should be a haven for students and researchers from the US who are seeking academic freedom and long-term opportunities. This strengthens both Sweden as a research nation and free research globally."
Pehrson invited representations from Uppsala, Lund, Stockholm and Umeå universities, from the Karolinska Institutet medical university, the KTH Royal Institute of Technology, and Stockholm School of Economics, and from Blekinge Institute of Technology.
He also invited representatives from the Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet), The Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems (Vinnova), and Technology Industries of Sweden (Teknikföretagen), which represents employers in the tech industry.
The Swedish Research Council will next week launch a new request for proposals for 2 million kronor in grants for researchers based outside the EU.
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The funding for "recruiting international guest researchers" will cover recruitment costs, salaries and relocation costs for researchers for projects lasting up to 12 months.
"With this call, we want to make it easier for universities and other research organisations in Sweden to recruit outstanding research talents who are active outside Europe," Katarina Bjelke, Director General of the Swedish Research Council, said when the grant was announced on April 1st.
The Local has confirmed that Bjelke took part in the meeting, as did Henric Johnson, Vice Chancellor of Blekinge Institute of Technology.
The Local has contacted participants in the meeting for more information on exactly what was discussed.
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