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The British government is preparing to launch a program to ward off international research talents at Great Britain following the repression of US President Donald Trump against academic freedom in America.
The initiative will be supported by around 50 million pounds in the government’s money to finance research grants and resettlement, according to people informed of the plans. They said the program should be announced in the coming days,
The Trump administration has launched unprecedented repression against science and universities in the United States, seeking to reduce federal funding and remove research on subjects such as diversity, vaccination and climate change.
The effort of the government of Sir Keir Starmer to attract international talents has its roots before Trump took up his duties in January and would be open to scientists from any country, according to the plans, the people declared the plans.
The program will assess researchers on their production and how their work corresponds to the priority areas of the British industrial strategy, in particular life sciences, artificial intelligence and green energy.
Initially, the program will aim to move around 10 teams of researchers in the United Kingdom. If the system is considered a success, it could be extended, people said.
The Department of Sciences, Innovation and Technology said that the United Kingdom was “open to business on international sciences” and wanted to help “some of the best researchers in the world to give life to their ideas here”. He “would establish other plans in good time,” he added.
The regime will test the attractiveness of the United Kingdom for international scientists and the royal debate on the question of whether the government has to change other policies to make the country a convincing destination.
Research institutions and peers have in particular criticized visa costs for scientists, which are much higher than in other industrialized countries.
The United Kingdom’s immigration system was equivalent to an “national self-manage act” because it dissuaded students in science and researchers at the start of his career, warned the Chamber of Lord Chamber and Technology Committee in February
“International researchers underlie our cutting-edge R&D excellence and our additional funding will help attract talented world researchers,” said Ben Moore, head of the Russell group of the main research institutions.
“It would be just as useful for the government to review the visa costs with which the researchers are confronted, which far exceed those of other R&D nations in the lead,” he added.
Other countries have launched similar programs for international talents, because turmoil in American sciences led researchers to explore opportunities elsewhere.
Last month, Canada announced that an initiative called Canada Leads 100 Challenge to attract 100 scientists at the start of a career, in particular from the United States, its research facilities and hospitals.
Norway has also launched a program to help recruit researchers abroad to work in the fields of climate, health, energy and artificial intelligence.
France also launches this month a platform called “Choose France for Science” to attract international scientists, especially in the United States, to work in the fields of health, climate change and digital technologies.
