A new academic exodus

The parallels between geopolitical events in the 1930s and now have been remarked upon by many commentators, including this columnist.

- DEVANGSHU DATTA

Yet another parallel that is becoming apparent is tectonic upheavals across academia.

Turmoil in academia during the 1930s led to Europe ceding its primacy in scientific research to the US. Today, we see a mirror image of that situation. America is doing its best to surrender its position as the global epicenter of research. A massive opportunity exists here for other nations to significantly accelerate scientific programmes. Unfortunately, India is not well-placed to exploit this.

In the 1930s, Nazi racism led to a purge of Jewish academics. Einstein's books were burnt in the streets, while madmen who followed Hitler wrote pamphlets extolling the virtues of "Aryan Science". The cancer spread to Italy, where Mussolini had been in power for many years before Hitler rose. Italy's fascists also started extolling the virtues of "pure Italic science" and persecuting academics.

Hence, faculties of assorted universities across Germany, Italy, and Austria—and later, from other nations occupied by the Germans—fled Europe in droves. Many landed up in the US. They weren't only Jewish. Academics from other backgrounds who didn't like racism, or refused to kowtow to racist lunatics, also left. It wasn't only scientists, mathematicians or engineers. Writers, historians and scholars of all descriptions also left.