Canada hires dozens of scholars from top U.S. universities under major research initiative

Washington DC: Canada has successfully recruited dozens of prominent academics from elite American universities as the Trump administration intensifies its scrutiny and financial restrictions on higher education institutions across the United States, according to a report by CNN. Canadian Industry Minister Melanie Joly announced Thursday that 64 world-leading scholars have been hired under an eight-year, CAD $500 million (over $350 million USD) initiative spanning multiple top universities across Canada.CNN reported that 48 of the newly hired academics are departing prestigious American institutions--including Harvard, Cornell, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) covering specialised fields such as medicine, engineering, and climate science.France Targets 30,000 Indian Students By 2030, Steps Up Education Outreach The mass hiring comes amid growing friction between the White House and top US research centres. As highlighted by CNN, President Donald Trump's administration has targeted several elite colleges by cutting federal funding and tightening oversight regarding scientific grant distribution.The political pressure has stirred deep uncertainty among researchers evaluating the future of their academic work in the US.Speaking at a news conference at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Minister Joly framed the initiative as a deliberate defence of intellectual freedom. "While certain countries are cutting research and turning their back on academic freedom, we're doubling down on science and we're doubling down on research," Joly told reporters.Donald Trump Administration Seeks To Restrict Internships For International Students Addressing potential fallout over US-Canada relations, she added, "The US administration is making its own decisions and we're taking ours. We're very glad that these fantastic professors are coming."CNN noted that the White House was reached out to for comment regarding the recruitment push.The academic exodus is backed by Canada's broader Global Impact+ Research Talent Initiative, a CAD $1.7 billion (over $1.2 billion USD) fund designed to draw world-class intellectual talent to the country.Scholars making the move cited concerns over deteriorating academic freedom and hiring barriers in the US as key drivers behind their decision to relocate.(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

Canada is recruiting 64 researchers to universities across the country (source paywalled; alternative source), including 48 from U.S. institutions such as Harvard, Yale, and MIT. The hires are backed by more than $364 million in government funding and are part of a broader effort to attract researchers in fields such as AI, climate science, and medicine. The New York Times reports: While scientists often shy away from political discourse, some are saying the Trump administration's assault on science is behind their departure. "I used to live in the country that I thought was the most enthusiastic about the prospects for science improving the human condition, of any country in the world," said Phillip Zamore, the chair of RNA Therapeutics Institute at the University of Massachusetts. "And I woke up one day and that wasn't true anymore." He has been recruited to McGill University in Montreal, which has also hired five other researchers, and will join the medical faculty. "If scientists don't stand up for truth, no one will," Dr. Zamore said. The Canada-bound brain drain from U.S. institutions began last year as the Trump administration put forward policies that targeted foreign students, academic freedom and funding for equity-related programs. Kevin Hall, a nutrition scientist who left the U.S. National Institutes of Health last year, accusing federal officials of censoring his research on ultraprocessed foods, has been hired at the University of Ottawa. "While certain countries are cutting research and turning their back on academic freedom, we're doubling down on science," Melanie Joly, Canada's industry minister, told reporters at the announcement, in Vancouver, of the new university hiring. She billed it as the world's "largest talent attraction" project. The European Union has made a similar push. "Years from now, we will look back at today's announcement, and we will be able to seize the lasting impact of our choices," Ms. Joly said. Unpredictable decisions about funding prompted Seth Guikema, a professor in civil and environmental engineering, who has specialized in natural hazards modeling at the University of Michigan, to look elsewhere. His work focuses on how climate hazards inequitably affect communities, and that work has become harder to fund, he said. "Every country sets its priorities in terms of what is going to get funded, and I think Canada has done a very good job of supporting research in areas that really matter to society," said Dr. Guikema, who will start at Western University in London, Ontario in January. Read more of this story at Slashdot.