American Researchers Seek Safety in France Amidst Anti-Academic Policies

In March, as Brian Sandberg flew to the US, anxiety about potential security issues reminded him of his need to leave his home country. He had been observing the Trump administration's various initiatives against academia, which included cutting funding and imposing restrictions on international students and specific research topics, leading him to feel that changes in the air were threatening his freedom as a researcher.

Once he landed, Sandberg decided to apply for a new initiative at Aix-Marseille University that provided “scientific asylum” to distressed researchers, attempting to shield them from the oppressive actions impacting higher education in the United States. Sandberg became one of nearly 300 applicants for this program, which promised three years of financial support to around 20 selected researchers facing these challenges. He emphasized the profound threat to the academic system in America, which he feels many people do not fully grasp.

As reports continued to emerge detailing cuts and freezes in funding from US institutions, European universities began to act quickly to attract American scholars. Aix-Marseille University received an overwhelming response, with hundreds of applications from esteemed institutions, highlighting the urgency and historic significance of the moment. The university president reflected on the irony of American scientists now seeking safety in France, contrasting it with a time when the US welcomed exiled researchers during past crises.

Recently, the university hosted an event for reporters to meet some of the finalists for the program, many of whom requested anonymity for fear of reprisals from their current employers. Among them, a biological anthropologist expressed concerns about potential consequences from the US government for expressing dissent, while other researchers described their professional environments as increasingly hostile due to government actions against funding and free research.

This turmoil led many academics to consider relocation, with some already heading to countries like China or Canada where they perceived greater support for scientific endeavor. For Lisa, moving her family across the Atlantic was fraught with anxiety about the financial implications, yet she felt it was imperative to make the transition. Similarly, James, a climate researcher whose spouse was also shortlisted for the program, grappled with a mix of gratitude for new opportunities and sorrow over the need to leave behind their established lives in America.