Rabat-Aix-Marseille University between Aix-en-Provence and Marseille in southern France, announced the start of her “Safe Place for Science” program last week. The program is intended to support American scientists and researchers after comprehensive cuts in the Federal Research Finance and the new restrictions on the scientific language Trump card Administration.
The university says its goal is to “offer scientists a safe and stimulating environment who want to carry out their research in complete freedom”, with the focus on working in connection with climate, environment, health, people and social services. The initiative aims to finance around 15 scientists with a budget of 10 million euros over the course of three years.
In A LinkedIn PostEric Berton, President of Aix-Marseille University, said: “The goal of this mobilization is clear: to defend the sciences and the humanities, which is essential for our understanding of the world and innovation. Promotion of academic freedom, research and the humanities, basic pillars of promoting knowledge; And to confirm the role of the university as the basis of our democratic society, which was formed from the critical heads of tomorrow. ”
Aix-Marseille University has already carried out similar initiatives that supports artists and scientists in exile through its earlier cooperation with the pause program. The university previously received researchers and artists from Ukraine, Yemen, Afghanistan and Palestine.
In the course of the new program, the university works with local authorities to optimize a visa process for American scientists who join the program. The first participant, Andrea, arrived on Monday, March 10th. As reported RadioFrance is Andrea a researcher who specializes in infectious diseases and epidemics and focuses on the health of mothers and children in Africa.
“The main effects of Donald Trumps policy In my work, he created a climate full of uncertainty and fear, ”Andrea told RadioFrance. “Even if I still have a job, even if I still get funds, there is no information about whether you continue.”
The financing cuts in research and the elimination of mentions of climate change on federal websites and in federal literature have worried the scientific community. Accordingly The federal financing of Guardian, federal financing was shortened for every research using the word “climate” both in Germany and overseas.
An environmental scientist was recommended to remove or risk the word “climate” from the title of his thesis on climate adaptation, to lose his grant. Kaarle Hameria, Chancellor of the University of Helsinki in Finland, reports that descriptions of Fulbright scholarships, federal funds to students who carry out international graduate research have been changed in order to remove terms such as “climate change”, “just society”, “including society” and “women in society”.
In the past few months, the new administration has ended hundreds of federal scientists to implement their commitment to blocking grants in connection with diversity, equity and inclusion and a goal of reducing the National Science Foundation budget by two thirds.
The initiative of Aix-Marseille University is part of a broader reaction to these guidelines. Although the program is planning to organize only a small contingency of scientists, the movement is greater. On Friday, March 6, protests gathered in the United States under the banner “Stand for Science” in the United States. Speak to Court newsPresent Eric Berton, President of Aix-Marseille University, repeated the urgency of the situation. “It is the basics of science that are attacked, but also the language used to understand and explain the world. We hope that other universities in France and Europe will follow our initiative. We know that we cannot solve this alone, ”he said.
