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Straits Times
4 hours ago
- Science
- Straits Times
World scientists look elsewhere as US labs stagger under Trump cuts
Professor Raj Ladher, of the National Centre for Biological Sciences in Bangalore, India, with PhD students on May 26. PHOTO: NYTIMES World scientists look elsewhere as US labs stagger under Trump cuts NEW YORK - For decades, Bangalore, India, has been an incubator for scientific talent, sending newly minted doctoral graduates around the world to do groundbreaking research. In an ordinary year, many aim their sights at labs in the United States. 'These are our students, and we want them to go and do something amazing,' said Professor Raj Ladher, of the National Centre for Biological Sciences in Bangalore. But this is not an ordinary year. When Prof Ladher queried some 30 graduates in the city recently about their plans, only one had certain employment in the US. For many of the others, the political turmoil in Washington has dried up job opportunities in what Prof Ladher calls 'the best research ecosystem in the world.' Some decided they would now rather take their skills elsewhere, including Austria, Japan and Australia, while others opted to stay in India. As the Trump administration moves with abandon to deny visas, expel foreign students and slash spending on research, scientists in the US are becoming increasingly alarmed. The global supremacy that the US has long enjoyed in health, biology, the physical sciences and other fields, they warn, may be coming to an end. 'If things continue as they are, American science is ruined,' said physics and data science professor David W. Hogg of New York University, who works closely with astronomers and other experts around the world. 'If it becomes impossible to work with non-US scientists,' he said, 'it would basically render the kinds of research that I do impossible.' Research cuts and moves to curtail the presence of foreign students by the Trump administration have happened at a dizzying pace. The administration has gone so far as moving to block any international students at all from attending Harvard University, and more than US$3 billion (S$3.8 billion) in research grants to the university were terminated or paused. At Johns Hopkins University, a bastion of scientific research, officials announced the layoffs of more than 2,000 people after losing US$800 million in government grants. An analysis by The New York Times found that the National Science Foundation, the world's preeminent funding agency in the physical sciences, has been issuing financing for new grants at its slowest rate since at least 1990. PhD students at the National Centre for Biological Sciences in Bangalore, India. PHOTO: NYTIMES It is not merely a matter of the American scientific community losing power or prestige. Biology and physics professor Dirk Brockmann, who is based in Germany, warned that there were much broader implications. The acceptance of risk and seemingly crazy leaps of inspiration woven into American attitudes, he said, help produce a research environment that nowhere else can quite match. The result has been decades of innovation, economic growth and military advances. 'There is something very deep in the culture that makes it very special,' said Prof Brockmann, who once taught at Northwestern University. 'It's almost like a magical ingredient.' Scientists believe that some of the international talent that has long helped drive the US research engine may land elsewhere. Many foreign governments, from France to Australia, have also started openly courting American scientists. But because the US has led the field for so long, there is deep concern that research globally will suffer. 'For many areas, the US is absolutely the crucial partner,' said Professor Wim Leemans of the University of Hamburg and director of the accelerator division at DESY, a research centre in Germany. Prof Leemans, who is an American and Belgian citizen and spent 34 years in the US, said that in areas like medical research and climate monitoring, the rest of the world would be hard-pressed to compensate for the loss of American leadership. There was a time when the US government embraced America's role in the global scientific community. In 1945, a presidential science adviser, Vannevar Bush, issued a landmark blueprint for post-World War II science in the US. 'Science, the Endless Frontier,' it was called, and among its arguments was that the country would gain more by sharing information, including bringing in foreign scientists even if they might one day leave, than by trying to protect discoveries that would be made elsewhere anyway. The blueprint helped drive the postwar scientific dominance of the US, said Mr Cole Donovan, an international technology adviser in the Biden White House. 'Much of US power and influence is derived from our science and technology supremacy,' he said. Now the US is taking in the welcome mat. Prof Brockmann, who studies complex systems at the Dresden University of Technology, was once planning to return to Northwestern to give a keynote presentation in June. It was to be part of a family trip to the US; his children once lived in Evanston, Illinois, where he taught at the university from 2008 to 2013. He cancelled the talk after the Foreign Ministry issued new guidance on travel to the US following the detention of German tourists at the US border. That warning he said, 'was kind of a signal to me: I don't feel safe.' Mr Donovan said it was too early to tell whether Europe, say, or China could take over an international leadership role in science. Prof Ladher, the Bangalore researcher, said that so far, Europe has been taking up some of the slack in hiring his graduates. 'Austria has become a huge destination for many of our students,' he said. In Bangalore, one graduate student who is waiting to defend her doctoral thesis on cell signalling and cancer said it was widely believed in India that US labs were unlikely to hire many international students this year. That has led many of her colleagues to look elsewhere, said the student, who asked not to be named because she still planned to apply for positions in the US and did not want to hurt her chances. The American scientific community, she said, has long been revered abroad. 'It is sad to see that the hero is coming down from the pedestal,' she said. NYTIMES Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Business Insider
11 hours ago
- General
- Business Insider
I'm a psychologist who started repairing vintage Rolex watches as a side hustle. Now watchmaking is my main gig.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Greg Petronzi of True Patina, a watchmaker specializing in vintage Rolex repairs. He is also a licensed psychologist and professor at New York University. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. I've always had a fascination with watches, starting at a young age. Around middle school, I had a Swatch with a see-through plastic case and an automatic movement. You could see all of the parts of the watch as it was working, and I always found that so interesting. In college, I pursued psychology. That was my practical career path. I got a master's and a Ph.D. Overall, it was a 12-year path to becoming a licensed psychologist. But I never lost my interest in watches. After I finished school, I got into watchmaking, which ended up becoming my main gig. Psychology became my part-time gig, which I never anticipated happening, but it's super exciting. I love both disciplines. I got into watchmaking with an informal apprenticeship Watchmaking was never really on my radar. As a grad student, I started getting involved in the world of watches and meeting other watch enthusiasts through forums and meetups. I made friends with a watchmaker out of Florida named Rik Dietel, who has 35-plus years of experience in watchmaking and specifically with vintage Rolex, which is the niche that I was very passionate about. I started asking him how to fix this or change that on my own watches. Little by little, Rik started teaching me, and it turned into an informal, remote apprenticeship. Over the next several years, while I was working as a psychologist and professor, my skillset started to really develop, and it started to become apparent to me that this might be more than just a hobby. I was working on my own stuff, then friends' watches, then friends of friends' watches. Then I started getting requests from people I didn't know. That's when I said, "I'd better take this a bit more seriously." During the pandemic, my psychology work went remote, and I was able to put more time and energy into watchmaking. I also had an income, which helped me afford the tools. I just recently spent about $15,000 on one tool to do a very nuanced repair. I built up my watchmaking workshop and started to develop a niche in cosmetic repair — dials and hands. Because I started as a watch collector, I understand the importance of preserving the originality of a watch. While a lot of more modern watchmakers have the disposition of "repair and replace," I have the disposition of "restore and retain." I started to showcase my work on Instagram and build trust in the community. I ended up working with some really important watch collectors and dealers, like Eric Wind of Wind Vintage, and auction houses like Phillips. There was a moment when I realized I'd made a name for myself in the watch world: Someone sent me an eBay listing that said, "Watch just serviced by True Patina." I had no idea who the seller was, but I thought, "Wow, my company name is actually carrying so much weight that people are using this as a flex toward selling their watch." That felt really good. Watchmaking can be challenging to get into, but it's really rewarding Watchmaking has more often than not outperformed what the Ph.D and psychology have allowed me to earn, which I'm astounded by and grateful for. If someone's interested in learning watchmaking, I'd say it's possible, but there are some challenges. The tools are expensive, and the formal education options are limited. Most people either find an apprenticeship or start by working for an established brand while slowly building up their own workshop. My pricing varies a lot based on how much restoration is needed. Repairs typically range between $1,000 and $2,000, but some go up to $6,000 or more, especially if a rare part needs to be sourced. I service watches that range in price from a few thousand dollars upward to six-figure watches. It's not uncommon for me to work on a watch that costs $200,000 and occasionally even up to $500,000. Most commonly, they are a few thousand up to $20,000. But what's most meaningful to me is working on sentimental pieces — watches that have been in families for generations. Becoming a watchmaker never crossed my mind as a kid or even as a college student. But all of a sudden, it organically became reality for me, and it's a very, very meaningful and enjoyable existence. Watchmaking is a very rewarding field. It can be very stressful, especially when the repair might not be cooperating the way you want it to, but when things do fall in line, it can be a very mindful activity. You get into this flow where time just sort of ceases. It's kind of ironic.
New Indian Express
12 hours ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Career pathways in US dim for international students as Trump cracks down on visas
'The message being sent now is that: You are not one of us, and we are going to get rid of you,' said Marko, who asked that only his first name be used because he is worried about being targeted for removal from the country. He has lived in the U.S. for a decade spanning college and graduate school, but his family and friends back home have encouraged him to leave. His hope is that he gets the OPT extension and can then apply for an H-1B visa and continue his life in the U.S., but he also worries about anti-immigrant sentiment and who will be targeted next. Guy, an HIV researcher at Mount Sinai Hospital who declined to provide his last name for fear of retaliation, came to the United States in 2018 for a PhD program at New York University. He's now in his second year of OPT and would have to return to the United Kingdom if the program was terminated. Although he still feels welcome in New York City, he said it feels like there's a 'war on immigrants in this country.' 'It's not a particularly attractive place to stay and do science right now,' he said.
Arab News
16 hours ago
- Business
- Arab News
‘Everything came crashing down': US visa freeze shatters hopes of young Pakistani students
ISLAMABAD: For many in Pakistan, the US visa freeze has felt like a devastating setback after years of academic effort and ambition, affected applicants and an education consultant said on Friday. The suspension, ordered by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier this week, halts new student and exchange visa appointments worldwide and is part of a broader policy under President Donald Trump's administration to intensify screening of foreign nationals, including expanded social media vetting. US embassies have been instructed to pause interviews while new guidelines are being finalized, as officials in Washington say the goal is to identify potential security risks amid a rise in campus activism following Israel's war in Gaza, which has sharply polarized student opinion. Trump's critics argue, however, the measures are discriminatory and risk undermining access to American higher education for bright students from developing countries — long considered a cornerstone of the US advantage in global research and innovation. 'I had always dreamed of pursuing higher education in the United States and after months of preparation, hard work and dedication, I finally got accepted into New York University,' Mohammad Ibrahim, a student from Lahore, told Arab News over the phone. 'But just as I was preparing for the next big chapter of my life, everything came crashing down,' he continued, adding that due to the sudden visa ban imposed by the Trump administration, his plans have been put on hold. Ibrahim said despite getting admission after meeting all the university requirements, he was now stuck in an uncertain situation, with nothing to do but wait, hope and keep trying to move forward, even when everything had suddenly gone beyond his control. 'It's disappointing,' he said. 'An entire year of my life feels like being wasted.' Inayah Murtaza, an exchange program candidate from the same city, said the new US policy had led to delays in visa interviews and a ban on the exchange student program, leaving her and many others devastated. 'American higher education system provides excellent opportunities. However, the recent policies by the Trump administration are extremely devastating,' she said, adding the ban had hurt her both emotionally and financially. For Malik Zalaid Hassan, from Sheikhupura, who had secured admission to study artificial intelligence at the University of California, the visa suspension was a huge setback. 'I won't get my money back… I just lost a ton of money,' he told Arab News, emphasizing he had already paid thousands of dollars in tuition and housing fees. 'I really hope America does something about this and I really hope it changes because this has an impact on a lot of people,' he continued. Mohammad Ayyan Akhtar, a counselor at UniGrad, an education consultancy firm in Lahore, said the visa appointments ban had placed many students in a heart-wrenching situation. 'It includes their financial losses, and on top of everything, their academic loss is a big concern,' he said. 'The Trump administration should lift [the ban] as early as possible to save the loss of hundreds of Pakistani students [of their] academic year,' he added.
Time of India
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
World Scientists Look Elsewhere as U.S. Labs Stagger Under Trump Cuts
For decades, Bangalore, India, has been an incubator for scientific talent, sending newly minted doctoral graduates around the world to do ground breaking research. In an ordinary year, many aim their sights at labs in the United States . "These are our students, and we want them to go and do something amazing," said a professor at the National Centre for Biological Sciences in Bangalore, Raj Ladher. But this is not an ordinary year. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trading CFD dengan Teknologi dan Kecepatan Lebih Baik IC Markets Mendaftar Undo When Ladher queried some 30 graduates in the city recently about their plans, only one had certain employment in the United States. For many of the others, the political turmoil in Washington has dried up job opportunities in what Ladher calls "the best research ecosystem in the world." Some decided they would now rather take their skills elsewhere, including Austria, Japan and Australia, while others opted to stay in India. As the Trump administration moves with abandon to deny visas, expel foreign students and slash spending on research, scientists in the United States are becoming increasingly alarmed. The global supremacy that the United States has long enjoyed in health, biology, the physical sciences and other fields, they warn, may be coming to an end. Live Events "If things continue as they are, American science is ruined," said David W. Hogg, a professor of physics and data science at New York University who works closely with astronomers and other experts around the world. "If it becomes impossible to work with non-U.S. scientists," he said, "it would basically render the kinds of research that I do impossible." Research cuts and moves to curtail the presence of foreign students by the Trump administration have happened at a dizzying pace. The administration has gone so far as moving to block any international students at all from attending Harvard University, and more than $3 billion in research grants to the university were terminated or paused. At Johns Hopkins University , a bastion of scientific research, officials announced the layoffs of more than 2,000 people after losing $800 million in government grants. An analysis by The New York Times found that the National Science Foundation , the world's preeminent funding agency in the physical sciences, has been issuing financing for new grants at its slowest rate since at least 1990. It is not merely a matter of the American scientific community losing power or prestige. Dirk Brockmann, a biology and physics professor in Germany, warned that there were much broader implications. The acceptance of risk and seemingly crazy leaps of inspiration woven into American attitudes, he said, help produce a research environment that nowhere else can quite match. The result has been decades of innovation, economic growth and military advances. "There is something very deep in the culture that makes it very special," said Brockmann, who once taught at Northwestern University . "It's almost like a magical ingredient." Scientists believe that some of the international talent that has long helped drive the U.S. research engine may land elsewhere. Many foreign governments, from France to Australia, have also started openly courting American scientists. But because the United States has led the field for so long, there is deep concern that research globally will suffer. "For many areas, the U.S. is absolutely the crucial partner," said Wim Leemans, the director of the accelerator division at DESY, a research centre in Germany, and a professor at the University of Hamburg . Leemans, who is an American and Belgian citizen and spent 34 years in the United States, said that in areas like medical research and climate monitoring, the rest of the world would be hard-pressed to compensate for the loss of American leadership. There was a time when the U.S. government embraced America's role in the global scientific community. In 1945, a presidential science adviser, Vannevar Bush, issued a landmark blueprint for post-World War II science in the United States. "Science, the Endless Frontier," it was called, and among its arguments was that the country would gain more by sharing information, including bringing in foreign scientists even if they might one day leave, than by trying to protect discoveries that would be made elsewhere anyway. The blueprint helped drive the postwar scientific dominance of the United States, said Cole Donovan, an international technology adviser in the Biden White House . "Much of U.S. power and influence is derived from our science and technology supremacy," he said. Now the United States is taking in the welcome mat. Brockmann, who studies complex systems at the Dresden University of Technology, was once planning to return to Northwestern to give a keynote presentation in June. It was to be part of a family trip to the United States; his children once lived in Evanston, Illinois, where he taught at the university from 2008 to 2013. He cancelled the talk after the Foreign Ministry issued new guidance on travel to the United States following the detention of German tourists at the U.S. border. That warning he said, "was kind of a signal to me: I don't feel safe." Donovan said it was too early to tell whether Europe, say, or China could take over an international leadership role in science. Ladher, the Bangalore researcher, said that so far, Europe has been taking up some of the slack in hiring his graduates. "Austria has become a huge destination for many of our students," he said. In Bangalore, one graduate student who is waiting to defend her doctoral thesis on cell signaling and cancer said it was widely believed in India that U.S. labs were unlikely to hire many international students this year. That has led many of her colleagues to look elsewhere, said the student, who asked not to be named because she still planned to apply for positions in the United States and did not want to hurt her chances. The American scientific community, she said, has long been revered abroad. "It is sad to see that the hero is coming down from the pedestal," she said.
