{"id":175787,"date":"2025-04-07T08:51:53","date_gmt":"2025-04-07T06:51:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/rektor-til-ku-ansatte-taenk-over-hvilken-computer-du-tager-med-til-usa\/"},"modified":"2025-04-07T10:04:23","modified_gmt":"2025-04-07T08:04:23","slug":"heading-to-the-us-check-your-devices-says-rector","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/heading-to-the-us-check-your-devices-says-rector\/","title":{"rendered":"Heading to the US? Check your devices, says rector"},"content":{"rendered":"

Developments in US politics \u2014 including research policy \u2014 are leading to uncertainty among research staff at the University of Copenhagen (UCPH). They worry that the Trump administration\u2019s political agenda will impact their research funding, collaborations, and upcoming trips to the US.<\/p>\n

Rector David Dreyer Lassen addresses the troubling developments in a column<\/a> on KUnet.<\/p>\n

\u00bbWe all read the news and can see that US universities are currently under enormous pressure, undermining both arm\u2019s length principles and academic freedoms. If you go back two years, I don\u2019t think anyone could have imagined these kinds of full-blown attacks on universities that we\u2019re now seeing in the US,\u00ab David Dreyer Lassen says to the University Post.<\/p>\n

At present, the Rector\u2019s 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:<\/p>\n

We have heard of individual cases where foreign researchers have been treated very poorly, but this is not the norm<\/p>\n

David Dreyer Lassen, rector<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u00bbWe 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,\u00ab says David Dreyer Lassen.<\/p>\n

He adds that, so far, this primarily concerns research projects within health and public health that may conflict with the president\u2019s diversity policies.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

If you’re headed to the US<\/h3>\n

Several UCPH researchers may already have booked tickets for conferences in the US, and some PhD students may be planning study there.<\/p>\n

How should UCPH staff consider travel to the US right now?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00bbAs 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,\u00ab says the rector, referencing a French researcher<\/a> who was recently denied entry to the US after immigration officers found messages on his phone criticising the Trump administration.<\/p>\n

\u00bbIn 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,\u00ab says David Dreyer Lassen.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s say there was a political crisis in Denmark, and Sweden or the UK tried to poach all our researchers. That wouldn\u2019t be collegial<\/p>\n

David Dreyer Lassen, rector<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u00bbNormally, we don\u2019t 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.\u00ab<\/p>\n

As for PhD students planning study in the US, David Dreyer Lassen says they should proceed as planned \u2014 while acknowledging that the situation may change.<\/p>\n

\u00bbYou 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\u2019t end up in an unfortunate situation where you have to cancel at short notice,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n

UCPH won\u2019t poach fired researchers<\/h3>\n

Several European countries have recently expressed that the mass firings of select researchers in the US \u2014 particularly in the climate and health fields \u2014 represent a clear opportunity to recruit talented researchers to European universities. This was reported by the Politiken<\/a> news outlet.<\/p>\n

Is UCPH actively seeking to recruit fired American researchers?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00bbOn 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,\u00ab says David Dreyer Lassen.<\/p>\n

However, the university has no plans to actively recruit US-based researchers, according to the rector.<\/p>\n

\u00bbIt\u2019s about the message you send. Let\u2019s say there was a political crisis in Denmark, and Sweden or the UK tried to poach all our researchers. That wouldn\u2019t be collegial,\u00ab says David Dreyer, adding:<\/p>\n

\u00bbThe 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.\u00ab<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u00bbFrom a Danish perspective, it\u2019s not something that has, so far, affected our operations significantly,\u00ab he says, adding:<\/p>\n

\u00bbBut we could be impacted, and that\u2019s why we need to continuously assess how to respond to the situation.\u00ab
\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Trump administration\u2019s policies cause uncertainty over funding, collaboration and travel. Rector outlines how University of Copenhagen staff should respond.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":99,"featured_media":174328,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[48],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-175787","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics","expression-news_article"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\nHeading to the US? 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He wants an overview of how this is affecting UCPH staff."},{"acf_fc_layout":"Standfirst","subject":"Research co-operation","text":"Trump-administrationens politikker skaber usikkerhed om bevillinger, samarbejder og rejser. Rektor opfordrer i dette interview alle KU-ansatte til at holde ledelsen orienteret om henvendelser eller \u00e6ndringer fra amerikansk side. ","use_post_excerpt":true},{"acf_fc_layout":"Byline","is_author":true,"contributors":false},{"acf_fc_layout":"Content","content":"<p>Developments in US politics \u2014 including research policy \u2014 are leading to uncertainty among research staff at the University of Copenhagen (UCPH). They worry that the Trump administration\u2019s political agenda will impact their research funding, collaborations, and upcoming trips to the US.<\/p>\n<p>Rector David Dreyer Lassen addresses the troubling developments in a <a href=\"https:\/\/kunet.ku.dk\/newsroom\/news\/Pages\/Editorial-Trump-administration-affects-UCPH-research-environments.aspx\">column<\/a> on KUnet.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbWe all read the news and can see that US universities are currently under enormous pressure, undermining both arm\u2019s length principles and academic freedoms. If you go back two years, I don\u2019t think anyone could have imagined these kinds of full-blown attacks on universities that we\u2019re now seeing in the US,\u00ab David Dreyer Lassen says to the University Post.<\/p>\n<p>At present, the Rector\u2019s 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:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>We have heard of individual cases where foreign researchers have been treated very poorly, but this is not the norm<\/p>\n<p class=\"quotee\">David Dreyer Lassen, rector<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>\u00bbWe 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,\u00ab says David Dreyer Lassen.<\/p>\n<p>He adds that, so far, this primarily concerns research projects within health and public health that may conflict with the president\u2019s diversity policies.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<h3>If you’re headed to the US<\/h3>\n<p>Several UCPH researchers may already have booked tickets for conferences in the US, and some PhD students may be planning study there.<\/p>\n<p><em>How should UCPH staff consider travel to the US right now?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u00bbAs 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,\u00ab says the rector, referencing a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2025\/mar\/19\/trump-musk-french-scientist-detained\">French researcher<\/a> who was recently denied entry to the US after immigration officers found messages on his phone criticising the Trump administration.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbIn 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,\u00ab says David Dreyer Lassen.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Let\u2019s say there was a political crisis in Denmark, and Sweden or the UK tried to poach all our researchers. That wouldn\u2019t be collegial<\/p>\n<p class=\"quotee\">David Dreyer Lassen, rector<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>\u00bbNormally, we don\u2019t 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.\u00ab<\/p>\n<p>As for PhD students planning study in the US, David Dreyer Lassen says they should proceed as planned \u2014 while acknowledging that the situation may change.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbYou 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\u2019t end up in an unfortunate situation where you have to cancel at short notice,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n<h3>UCPH won\u2019t poach fired researchers<\/h3>\n<p>Several European countries have recently expressed that the mass firings of select researchers in the US \u2014 particularly in the climate and health fields \u2014 represent a clear opportunity to recruit talented researchers to European universities. This was reported by the <a href=\"https:\/\/politiken.dk\/klima\/art10343709\/Europa-er-g%C3%A5et-p%C3%A5-jagt-efter-forskere-der-lider-i-Trumps-USA\">Politiken<\/a> news outlet.<\/p>\n<p><em>Is UCPH actively seeking to recruit fired American researchers?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u00bbOn 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,\u00ab says David Dreyer Lassen.<\/p>\n<p>However, the university has no plans to actively recruit US-based researchers, according to the rector.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbIt\u2019s about the message you send. Let\u2019s say there was a political crisis in Denmark, and Sweden or the UK tried to poach all our researchers. That wouldn\u2019t be collegial,\u00ab says David Dreyer, adding:<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbThe 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.\u00ab<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbFrom a Danish perspective, it\u2019s not something that has, so far, affected our operations significantly,\u00ab he says, adding:<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbBut we could be impacted, and that\u2019s why we need to continuously assess how to respond to the situation.\u00ab<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"ArticleEnd"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Newsletter","lang_select":"en","identifier":"Newsletter","headline":"Get an email with upcoming University of Copenhagen events and top stories","button_text":"Sign up here","class":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"OtherStories","headline":"","hand_picked_posts":false,"references":false,"category":false,"theme":false,"number_of_posts":"4","style":"default"}]},"taxonomyData":{"category":[{"term_id":48,"name":"Politics","slug":"politics","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":48,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":1036,"filter":"raw"}],"post_tag":[],"post_format":[],"expression":[{"term_id":15,"name":"News Article","slug":"news_article","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":15,"taxonomy":"expression","description":"","parent":0,"count":11490,"filter":"raw"}],"translation_priority":[{"term_id":5468,"name":"Optional","slug":"optional-en","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":5468,"taxonomy":"translation_priority","description":"","parent":0,"count":673,"filter":"raw"}]},"featured_media_url":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/david_dreyer_lassen_y9a6295-1280x854.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175787","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/99"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=175787"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175787\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":175792,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175787\/revisions\/175792"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/174328"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=175787"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=175787"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=175787"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}