A warning has been issued by Walter Rosenthal, the president of the German Rectors’ Conference, regarding the potential consequences of a European “brain gain” competition sparked by US President Donald Trump’s attempts to intimidate universities.
Rosenthal, in an interview with the German news magazine “Spiegel”, emphasized that a one-sided “brain gain” competition would be misguided and ultimately unsuccessful. If the Trump administration continues to restrict and intimidate US science, it would ultimately harm the global scientific network as a whole. “There will be no winners in this case” he stated.
While a small portion of researchers might be willing to relocate permanently to another country, it is more likely that top talent from Asia and around the world will reassess their decision to move to the US. This development, however, could open up new opportunities for German and European science. German universities are already receiving increased interest from American applicants or those concerned by the current developments and are in need of “swift visa procedures and a genuine welcoming culture in our society” in addition to funding, to capitalize on this trend.