Aix-Marseille Expands Scientific Asylum Program Scope

Aix-Marseille University in France received nearly 300 applications for its 'Safe Place for Science' program, which offers three years of support to researchers facing academic repression, primarily from the US under the Trump administration. Of the 298 applicants, 242 are eligible, including 135 Americans and 45 dual nationals, many from top US institutions such as NASA, Stanford, and Yale. The initiative is aimed at scholars in vulnerable fields like climate science, health, and the humanities, with about 20 to be accepted beginning in June. The program is part of a broader European push to attract international academic talent amid concerns over academic freedom in the US. Both French and European leaders have called for the creation of a formal 'scientific refugee' status for persecuted academics. Applicants have reported worsening research conditions in the US, highlighting the need for such sanctuary initiatives.