France prepares a fund to host American researchers threatened by Trump

34 comments

1. That’s smart, I mean if the world brightest scientists have no future in the US, which is the leading country for research (at least in my field), it only makes sense to host them here. Europe is truly the last fortress of freedom and democracy in the world, sigh 🙁

2. Honestly this is just so dumb. Having excellent research is much less about the researchers and much more about the research facilities, funding opportunities and quality of the existing research groups. Actions such as this only create an even more competitive field for European researchers and it is not going to do anything to improve the quality of our research. Politicians..

3. Insane that it already has come to scientific refuge and travel advices sharpened by multiple countries. It’d almost be impressive if it wasn’t so damn depressive how one admin can destroy a country relatively unopposed.

4. Could be a smart move

   But we gotta be beware of average people that got kicked out of their USA uni,

   And don’t necessarily merit a place above our own thousands of European PhD students ,

   In the ratrace towards a .permanent University research position

5. That’s smart. Every government should do that, an EU fund would be even better.

6. Operation Paperclip 2.0?

7. I’ve commented this exact thing twice before already. France pay your own goddamn researchers first, Europe does NOT lack talent.

8. The should start by funding their own researchers appropriately. Just sayin’.

9. Now do increased research budget. EU sucks at funding research.

10. They should call it operation stapler

11. It would be great if they funded French researchers too

12. This is super smart. Brain draining the US is the way to go. We will just see the Empire crumbling from incompetence.

13. France can’t even fund its own scientists…

14. “You see chaos, I see profitto.”~France. Also I guess decades of building their own arsenal and diplomacy finally paid off

15. Europe will become a gender studies and climate justice powerhouse after benefitting from the US “brain drain”, cant wait!

16. This is like in the good old days! Some dictator cuts freedom of speech and other countries in europe takes them in.

17. What a bunch of hypocrite, we have many talentuous researcher here who don’t have any founding, without saying that getting a permanent position is a dream.
    This is all communication.

18. …while JD Vance & Trump accuse France of “freeloading”.

19. It should be Germany

    If only for the irony of American scientists fleeing to Germany to escape the Nazis.

20. With what money?

    We are notorious for offering shit wages to our top brains. Which is why they moved to the US or Canada or China

21. I think this is the right thing to do, but am a little afraid for my job stability as someone working at a European university in the humanities. If they are more talented and deserve it, though, I’ll make do and find something else however I can.

22. Reminiscent of when the Nazis threatened some scientists, who then fled germany..

23. So why was US tax payer money being wasted on this shit when Europeans can pay for it?

24. This is great in theory but I just don’t see European countries committing to funding more research. My sibling works in quantum computing in the US and they’re building facilities left and right in the US. So much money is poured into research in the US, I don’t see that changing anytime soon…even if Trump is a massive cunt .

25. I’m getting ready to learn French

26. While they can’t agree to any meaning full amount for the Ukraine war effort thanks to petty reasons.

27. I wonder how many countries did this when the CIA had their firesale?

28. America’s international leading role was basically kickstarted by the US welcoming talent that was fleeing the rubbles of Europe after WW1 and the developing dictatorship.

    If we could reverse the trick (and I’m sad to say it’s a big IF with our economic tightness and the political vibes even in big core countries), it could be great for us.

29. This reminds me when USA, 80-100 years ago, received a lot of the greatest minds amidst World War and Holocaust’s threat.

    Without a doubt a smart move.

30. Call it “Operation Trombone”, which is French for paperclip.

31. Good intentions but France is a very wrong choice. Even at the universities, not knowing French is a huge issue. They are very nationalistic, their research is underfunded for many decades already, they have less international research compared to Germany, Netherlands, Belgium…American academics may come to France but they wouldn’t stay long.

    Even they announce PhD/postdoc positions on Linkedin, they share all info in French sometimes.

32. Scientist here. I’m looking for jobs in the EU, Oz or NZ.

33. They should start with keeping our young researchers from going to USA to begin with and then with getting EU citizens to come back. If there is any money left after that do what you will, but long term EU researchers are more likely to stay in Europe.

34. I wish so bad I was a scientist.

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