Absorbing US brain drain

In times of political turbulence, leading research universities often become both targets of populist rhetoric and beacons of hope. For voters dissatisfied with "elites” and the status quo, higher education bears responsibility for spawning the political class that they blame for all society’s ills. And yet, in the face of so many global crises – environmental, geopolitical, economic, social, technological, and health-related – the world desperately needs new solutions, independent research, and trained future leaders.In the United States, President Donald Trump’s administration and a substantial share of the electorate identify universities with a malign domestic and global "system,” and as a major battleground in the country’s long-running culture wars. The administration has cut universities’ federal research funding, threatened to revoke their tax-exempt status, and demanded institutional reforms that limit their autonomy and academic freedom. Some US universities have decided to pause or cancel research programmes and slow the recruitment of faculty.This is a tragedy, and not just for the US. Frontier research and education is a global public good. New insights and innovations relating to AI, climate change, health, inequality, and geopolitics benefit all of humankind, wherever they are generated. With US universities facing unprecedented political pressure, the rest of the world must step up its efforts to support pathbreaking research, education, and innovation.Doing so will require co-ordinated action among universities, which should roll out new research projects and recruit faculty who want to relocate from the US to pursue their work in a more welcoming and productive environment. It will also require large new contributions of public- and private-sector resources.There are already encouraging signs that this is happening. Canada’s University Health Network Foundation recently launched an initiative to raise $30mn to recruit 100 top early-career scientists from around the world. The British government is preparing a £50mn ($67mn) scheme to attract international research talent to the United Kingdom. The French government has announced a "Choose France for Science” platform that would fund 50% of initiatives to attract international talent to French universities and research institutions. And on May 5, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivered a passionate speech touting a new initiative, "Choose Europe for Science,” which will include a €500mn ($562mn) package (for 2025-27) to make Europe a "magnet for researchers.”But as impressive as these announcements are, public-sector efforts will not be enough. All the public initiatives announced so far represent less than what a single major US university risks losing in federal research funding this year. Worse, most governments face very tight fiscal constraints and cannot afford to plug the emerging global research funding gap. Private donors will have to step in.While private support for US universities could help them weather a loss of federal funding, financial resources alone will not address the government’s attack on academic freedom. Undue political pressure has already heightened the risk of an exodus of faculty from the US. A March Nature survey of US-based scientists found that 75% of respondents were looking for jobs abroad, particularly in Europe and Canada. An analysis of *Nature’s jobs-board data in April confirmed the beginning of a brain drain from the US.Trump’s assault on academic freedom also worries students. For international applicants looking at the US, the question is no longer just about an institution’s ranking or reputation. Even more important is whether they will be safe, welcomed, and included. Students from the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and parts of Asia – especially those whose nationality may bring extra scrutiny – are increasingly cautious about pursuing higher education in today’s America. Students are becoming more reluctant about attending top US institutions as a matter not of protest, but of prudence. MBA students who previously would have viewed US schools as the gold standard are now considering more fundamental questions: Where will I feel welcome? Where can I be confident that my visa will be honoured for the duration of my studies? Where can I build an international network that isn’t vulnerable to political headwinds?For European universities and business schools, this shift creates both opportunities and responsibilities. Top schools outside the US must ensure that they will be equal to the moment. That means investing more in world-class faculty, building bridges with industry and government, and reaffirming their fundamental values of academic excellence, inclusion, and internationalism.It also means engaging donors who want to make a difference. UK and European universities and business schools with global ambitions often lack the billion-dollar endowments of their US peers. For philanthropists committed to open societies, inclusive education, and world-changing research, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to invest in institutions that are ready to lead, but need the resources to match their mission. — Project Syndicate