Heading to the US? Check your devices, says rector

Developments in US politics — including research policy — are leading to uncertainty among research staff at the University of Copenhagen (UCPH). They worry that the Trump administration’s political agenda will impact their research funding, collaborations, and upcoming trips to the US.

Rector David Dreyer Lassen addresses the troubling developments in a column on KUnet.

»We all read the news and can see that US universities are currently under enormous pressure, undermining both arm’s length principles and academic freedoms. If you go back two years, I don’t think anyone could have imagined these kinds of full-blown attacks on universities that we’re now seeing in the US,« David Dreyer Lassen says to the University Post.

At present, the Rector’s Office unit is trying to map out which projects or situations could be affected by the new US policies at UCPH. They urge all staff to report any changes that could impact their research:

We have heard of individual cases where foreign researchers have been treated very poorly, but this is not the norm

David Dreyer Lassen, rector

»We know that projects funded, for example, by the NIH (National Institutes of Health), the US federal research agency for health sciences, have in some cases received letters casting doubt on what funds may, and may not, be used for,« says David Dreyer Lassen.

He adds that, so far, this primarily concerns research projects within health and public health that may conflict with the president’s diversity policies.

European colleagues also report instances where researchers have received questionnaires from US collaborators asking about Chinese connections and alignment with US government positions on climate and gender identity.

The rector is not aware of any UCPH researchers receiving such questionnaires, but should it happen, he strongly advises against responding to them and instead encourages staff to contact their immediate supervisor.

If you’re headed to the US

Several UCPH researchers may already have booked tickets for conferences in the US, and some PhD students may be planning study there.

How should UCPH staff consider travel to the US right now?

»As a general rule, they should just proceed with their plans. We have heard of individual cases where foreign researchers have been treated very poorly, but this is not the norm,« says the rector, referencing a French researcher who was recently denied entry to the US after immigration officers found messages on his phone criticising the Trump administration.

»In light of this, I would encourage staff to think twice about which laptop and phone they bring to the US. Many UCPH employees also use their electronics for private purposes, and in this case, it might be worth considering bringing a clean computer,« says David Dreyer Lassen.

This is especially relevant for those working on topics that may be perceived as controversial or sensitive in the current political climate, or for those who have been outspoken about the Trump administration, according to the rector.

Let’s say there was a political crisis in Denmark, and Sweden or the UK tried to poach all our researchers. That wouldn’t be collegial

David Dreyer Lassen, rector

»Normally, we don’t necessarily keep track of which researchers are attending conferences in the US. But given the current situation, it may be a good idea to speak with your immediate supervisor and inform your department head before departure.«

As for PhD students planning study in the US, David Dreyer Lassen says they should proceed as planned — while acknowledging that the situation may change.

»You might consider whether there are alternatives, for example in Europe, that could be if not equally good, then almost as good. That way, you won’t end up in an unfortunate situation where you have to cancel at short notice,« he says.

UCPH won’t poach fired researchers

Several European countries have recently expressed that the mass firings of select researchers in the US — particularly in the climate and health fields — represent a clear opportunity to recruit talented researchers to European universities. This was reported by the Politiken news outlet.

Is UCPH actively seeking to recruit fired American researchers?

»On an anecdotal level, we can observe a great deal of interest from people currently based in the US, especially for the junior positions we are advertising right now. These are not necessarily Americans, but people working at US universities,« says David Dreyer Lassen.

However, the university has no plans to actively recruit US-based researchers, according to the rector.

»It’s about the message you send. Let’s say there was a political crisis in Denmark, and Sweden or the UK tried to poach all our researchers. That wouldn’t be collegial,« says David Dreyer, adding:

»The international research community can still function in some form, even if there are political disagreements or issues. We work on the principle of science diplomacy, where it is possible to collaborate across different regimes.«

At this time, UCPH has no specific guidelines in the pipeline for researchers travelling to the US, but management is monitoring the situation closely. So far, there is no state of emergency at UCPH, the rector emphasises.

»From a Danish perspective, it’s not something that has, so far, affected our operations significantly,« he says, adding:

»But we could be impacted, and that’s why we need to continuously assess how to respond to the situation.«