French Varsity Welcomes First US Academics Under 'Science Asylum' Initiative

Eight American researchers have arrived at a university in southern France, as the country pushes to offer "science asylum" to US academics hit by federal research spending cuts under US President Donald Trump.

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MARSEILLE, France –

The Aix-Marseille University (AMU) welcomed the scholars on June 27, following the March launch of its Safe Place for Science initiative, the first among 20 set to relocate there in coming months.

The programme has already drawn nearly 300 applicants from top institutions such as Stanford, NASA and Berkeley.

The development comes as US universities have been threatened with massive federal funding cuts since Mr. Trump's return to the White House, causing research programmes to face closures.

Some staff also fear possible detention and deportation for their political views.

AMU – one of France's largest universities, with about 12,000 international students alone – is eager to provide a home for these scholars, with research funding for up to three years.

Historian Brian Sandberg said he decided to apply to the university in the southern Provence region on a return trip to the US from France, when he feared he might face arrest at the border of his own country.