Lauterbach warns: Trump's threat to science and research crisis!
Lauterbach warns: Trump's threat to science and research crisis!
In a current comment, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach comments on the pressure that the Trump government exerts on US universities. He sees the attack on the Harvard University in particular as a serious threat to freedom of science. Lauterbach, who studied Harvard himself and works as a visiting professor there, criticizes the politically motivated interventions that are particularly directed against liberal universities. These interventions can significantly change the research landscape in the USA.
"The importance of US tops of the top of the scientific progress cannot be overempined," Lauterbach continued. Nevertheless, the minister is skeptical that Germany could benefit from the precarious situation in the United States. However, he emphasizes the need to bring talented US scientists to Germany, but recognizes that this will be difficult due to the existing challenges in terms of working conditions and infrastructure.
Excellence initiative and German research policy
In this context, Lauterbach refers to the newly launched excellence initiative of the federal government, which aims to promote 70 locations in Germany. This initiative could be a positive phrase for research policy, but Lauterbach questions the number of funded locations and criticizes inadequate financial support for top research in Germany."We have to toast a rethink in German research policy if we want to survive in international competition, especially with countries like China," he demands. Lauterbach emphasizes that there is a great need for investment in research and teaching to drive innovations in Germany. He expresses hopes for a political impulse from the federal government in the current legislative period.
global challenges in freedom of science
This discussion about research policy is also more relevant in the international context. Researchers from the Netherlands, Switzerland and Great Britain have recently received a questionnaire from the US government, which included 36 questions on topics such as gender ideology and cooperation with China. This step is seen by many as an attempt to make the government's influence on scientific work clear. The Rector of the University of Leiden warned her employees not to answer the questionnaire, and the President of the Dutch universities expressed concern about the climate for free science in the USA.
In the meantime, scientists are increasingly being intimidated in the United States. In view of the screening processes introduced by the Trump government for research requests and the reports on layoffs of prominent scientists, there is great concern that the independence of research is at risk. This also raises questions whether German researchers are exposed to similar pressure, which, according to the German Research Foundation (DFG), does not seem to be the case.Overall, research policy faces major challenges. Lauterbach emphasizes that the departure from international scientific standards and political interventions in research could endanger innovative strength in both the United States and Germany. The next time will be crucial to set the course for future -proof research in Germany.
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| Ort | Harvard University, USA |
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