President Emmanuel Macron is launching a strategy to attract American researchers affected by Donald Trump's policies. Macron stated: "Here in France, research is a priority, innovation is a culture, and science is an infinite horizon. Researchers from around the world, choose France, choose Europe!".
Macron's invitation came after he received U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump's envoy, Steven Witkoff, to discuss the war in Ukraine, the Middle East, and trade. Macron promised to provide more details about the initiative on May 5th. His Minister of Education, Elisabeth Borne, mentioned that the international context was motivating scientists to consider moving, without directly mentioning the United States.
Amid threats of funding cuts to U.S. universities, including Harvard, driven by Trump that have led to the closure of research programs, especially in areas like climate change, Macron has launched this initiative. This strategy recalls his previous initiative "Make the Planet Great Again" in response to the United States' withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on climate change.
The French Ministry of Education announced the creation of an online platform to facilitate the relocation of researchers focused on topics such as health, climate, biodiversity, decarbonization, and natural resources. Each project will be funded by institutions, local authorities, and the private sector.
Additionally, the case of David Walt has been highlighted, who was forced to suspend his research on Lou Gehrig's disease due to funding cuts ordered by the U.S. Department of Health. Walt expressed his concern about the impact this will have on patients and research. This case is one of several in the context of a political and legal battle over the conditions imposed on universities receiving federal funds in the U.S., as is the case with Harvard.
