German university associations express solidarity with Harvard in face of US government’s decision to exclude international students.
The president of the German Rectors’ Conference, Walter Rosenthal, has spoken out against the US government’s decision, calling it a “catastrophe” for the global scientific community. He emphasized that German universities stand in solidarity with their US counterparts and partners in the scientific community.
Rosenthal, a medical doctor and pharmacologist, criticized the political pressure being exerted on US universities and science, saying it is “completely catastrophic” and will severely damage the performance of the US scientific system, contradicting the values of a free society.
The president of the German University Association, Lambert T. Koch, also expressed his concerns, stating that international student mobility is a core characteristic of free science. He warned that those who challenge this principle, regardless of whether it is partial or more far-reaching, are enemies of free science.
Koch called for support for those affected by the decision and emphasized the importance of providing an attractive academic environment for international talent that may be forced to leave the US due to the Trump administration’s anti-scientific policies. He urged Europe and Germany to take this seriously and be prepared to offer a welcoming academic home to such talent.