European scientists warn against Trump’s censorship

The new US President’s actions are also affecting scientists. Late last month, Trump decided to impose major budget cuts on the NIH, the main funder of medical research in the USA. However, a judge blocked the move last week.

Censorship Concerns

European academies of science are watching these developments with concern. In a joint statement, they express their worries about the ‘growing threats to academic freedom’.

By freezing research funding for climate change and gender studies, the Trump administration is limiting scientists’ ability to determine their own research questions, says ALLEA, the European federation of academies (which includes the Dutch KNAW, the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences).

Politics should not interfere with the ‘language, choice of topics, or methodology’ of scientific research. ALLEA describes Trump’s interventions as a form of ‘censorship’ and ‘political oppression’.

Stronger Protections Needed

Some of the consequences of Trump’s decisions will emerge later. In January, the President dismissed several Democratic regulators from a US privacy watchdog, PCLOB, which could have serious implications for collaboration between European and American researchers.

Privacy activist Max Schrems warns that this watchdog was created partly at the request of the European Commission to enable Europeans to share data with the US. ALLEA now fears that this data exchange is at risk.

European governments should better protect academic freedom, says the federation of academies. This applies to the Netherlands as well, says André Nollkaemper, Professor of International Law and Sustainability, although universities themselves must also remain vigilant.

HOP, Olmo Linthorst