Dutch institutes seek to attract sacked American academics: FD

Dutch universities and scientific institutes are looking to attract American academics who have lost their jobs since president Donald Trump took office, according to the Financieele Dagblad.

Research funding organisations are even considering establishing special programmes to encourage these academics to relocate to the Netherlands, the paper said.

Dutch scientists have reported receiving inquiries from American colleagues about opportunities to move to the Netherlands, the paper said, quoting a poll among members of the Dutch Royal Academy for the Arts and Sciences (KNAW).

Amsterdam’s research institute, Nias, has expanded its Safe Haven Fellowship—originally designed for refugee academics—to include American researchers. In addition, the Dutch Research Council (NWO) is exploring initiatives to bring Dutch academics back from the US, the paper said.

“The US has been attracting top Dutch talent for years, and it is important that we now bring them back,” NWO chairman Marcel Levi told the paper.

Eindhoven University of Technology is also considering an active recruitment programme in the use, using government funds allocated for chip industry research.

However, Dutch universities are facing financial constraints, and the government is working to mitigate the impact of internationalisation on the Dutch education system, in particular by reducing the use of English.

This means most Dutch universities lack the financial resources to support US academics, says Caspar van den Berg, chairman of the Dutch universities association (UNL). “We need this talent… but financially, it is impossible to support them,” he told the paper.

The UNL is urging the government to intervene, potentially by establishing a dedicated fund to attract American researchers and by simplifying the visa process.