> Speaking from the university’s hilltop astrophysics lab, AMU President Eric Berton likened the situation to that of European academics who fled persecution by Nazi Germany both before and during World War II.
> As most of the researchers who attended Berton’s speech had not yet signed their contracts with AMU, they requested anonymity to protect their stateside research positions if they ended up not being admitted or declining the offer.
I'm not sure the comparison is apt. I can't imagine many Jews in fear for their lives and fleeing the Nazis deciding that the offer of refuge wasn't quite to their liking.
defrost•7mo ago
Before Germany went full Nazi people were exploring their options with some taking up overseas offers and others exploring such options and not moving in the hope that things might not get any worse and might one day improve.
That's the comparison.
It's hard to say what the hindsight of the US from 2028 or 2030 might be.
daft_pink•7mo ago
I think if you told Trump the fleeing scientists all seem to be from hyper-partisan fields like climate change and not from important hard sciences that develop beneficial technology, he would be rejoicing.
It really undercuts their message when the scientists aren’t in AI, materials science, biotechnology etc that are crucially important to the American economy.
docdeek•7mo ago
> As most of the researchers who attended Berton’s speech had not yet signed their contracts with AMU, they requested anonymity to protect their stateside research positions if they ended up not being admitted or declining the offer.
I'm not sure the comparison is apt. I can't imagine many Jews in fear for their lives and fleeing the Nazis deciding that the offer of refuge wasn't quite to their liking.
defrost•7mo ago
That's the comparison.
It's hard to say what the hindsight of the US from 2028 or 2030 might be.