US Data Purges Draw on a Playbook Used Worldwide
Make Trump’s censorship a catalyst to protect research everywhere, say Louise Bezuidenhout and Hugh Shanahan
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Make Trump’s censorship a catalyst to protect research everywhere, say Louise Bezuidenhout and Hugh Shanahan
The new Trump administration has been more reckless and destructive than the first time around. The Union of Concerned Scientists is working to monitor, contain, and reverse this administration’s abuses of science.
The European Union has struck a deal with Egypt allowing it to associate to Horizon Europe, despite concerns from MEPs and former diplomats about restrictions on research in the country.
Many MEPs have called on the Commission to increase efforts to attract US scientists affected by budget cuts and political interference in academia and research. They see the current geopolitical context as a chance for the EU to present itself as an international beacon for academic freedom.
About 1,900 scientists warn that actions being taken by the Trump administration will slow scientific advances and harm Americans
After an onslaught of funding cuts, firings, and cancelled programs as a result of Trump administration actions, scientists in the United States are feeling targeted. That’s according to the results of a poll published by Nature. In the poll, 75.3% of 1,600 respondents, at least 1,200 of whom were scientists, said they were “considering leaving the country following the disruptions to science prompted by the Trump administration.”
History shows how to protect science from Trump’s attacks, write Stephan Lewandowsky and colleagues
Research groups call for academic freedom to be protected amid mass firings and funding freezes
The idea that universities in the United States—and especially their presidents—should be politically neutral was taking hold long before their recent struggles in responding to the Israel–Hamas war.
Legal framework conditions at European level "are not sufficient to deal with infringements of academic freedom”, according to a speaker at a key public debate on the issue.
Review found professionals in the field are scared to discuss views amid risk of reputational damage and online abuse
Science can best flourish in an open and safe ecosystem that encourages the free flow of ideas.
The trend for the politically motivated forensic scrutiny of the research records of academics has a chilling effect on academic freedom and distracts from efforts to address more important systemic issues in research integrity.
The pressure for EU legislation to protect academic freedom ramped up towards the end of 2023 when the European Parliament's STOA panel for the future of science and technology set out its plan of action. Amongst other measures, STOA is calling for a formal definition of academic freedom and a monitoring system to ensure these principles are enforced.
The assault of Israeli government on democratic institutions and principles is an imminent threat to Israeli academia, which relies on a solid democratic foundation.
The European Parliament's industry, research and energy committee (ITRE) wants to kickstart the process of creating a European regulation to protect academic freedom.
Opinion: European universities still face "far too many" restrictions on their autonomy, hindering them from realising their full potential, according to a recent comparative scorecard on university autonomy.
JAKARTA - Indonesian academics have called out the government for banning five foreign scientists after they questioned official claims of an increase in the country's orangutan population, warning that the move sets a disturbing precedent for academic freedom. In a statement to the government, scientists grouped under the Academic Freedom Advocacy Team called the ban […]
The European Parliament has launched a permanent forum to debate new policies and laws to protect academics in the EU against interference from government or other sources, after experts raised the alarm over the erosion of academic freedom in Europe.
As the Turkish government intensified its attacks on the theory of evolution, the academic community rallied to push back. A researcher recounts how she decided to join them.