German politician Karl Lauterbach, chair of the Research Committee in the German Bundestag, has strongly condemned the US government’s attacks on Harvard University.
As a Harvard alumnus and guest professor, Lauterbach expressed his sympathy for the international students at the prestigious institution, describing the US administration’s decision as a catastrophe for them. He hopes that the decision can still be reversed, but warned that the attack on free research and learning sends a chilling signal.
According to Lauterbach, the attacks on Harvard are a form of self-destruction in research policy, as the university’s students are among the best in the world and can conduct research anywhere. The politician emphasized that weakening the most important and strongest universities will ultimately harm the American economy, as many companies in the US benefit from the knowledge brought by Harvard alumni, many of whom choose to stay in the US after graduating.
Lauterbach also saw an opportunity for Germany to attract foreign researchers who might be forced to leave the US, offering excellent opportunities and perspectives after their studies. However, he urged the German government to invest more in the 70 German excellence clusters, as the current research funding is barely competitive on an international level.