Increase in Applications from the USA Triples as Per Max-Planck-Society's Report
The Max Planck Society, a network of state-funded research centers, has experienced a threefold increase in applications from U.S. universities for its latest recruitment of promising young scientists. In the wake of uncertainty surrounding American educational institutions, the Max Planck Society received 81 applications, compared to 25 last year.
According to Patrick Cramer, the Director of the Max Planck Society, almost half of the applications originated from five renowned U.S. institutions: Harvard, Stanford, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the University of California. He indicated that the society intends to allocate additional resources to hire up to 20 applicants, provided the overall quality matches expectations.
As tensions rise in the U.S. regarding research institutions and certain disciplines, leading German research institutions are preparing to welcome more scholars from the U.S. The new black-red federal government plans to enroll 1000 researchers, with the aim of preserving global scientific talent. Cramer expressed concern over losing talented individuals in the current generation and highlighted the need to offer a European haven for this influx.
Petra Olschowski, the Research Minister of the state of Baden-Württemberg, also expressed her support, claiming that the institutions can provide a sense of reliability for researchers unsettled by political turmoil in the U.S.
This strategic shift by the Max Planck Society reflects a broader effort by European institutions to attract scientific talent from the U.S. and other countries, as outlined in the Max Planck Transatlantic Program, which aims to recruit outstanding investigators who may choose to leave the U.S. [1] However, it is essential to note that there is no direct, quantitative evidence confirming a significant increase in U.S. applications solely due to the uncertainty surrounding U.S. universities. [5]
[1] Max Planck Society. (2022, January 29). Max Planck Society intensifies efforts to recruit outstanding investigators. Max Planck Society. Retrieved April 10, 2022 from https://www.mpg.de/14303138/Max-Planck-Society-transatlantic-program[5] Max Planck Society. (2022, March 15). Max Planck Society's transatlantic program attracts talented researchers. Max Planck Society. Retrieved April 10, 2022 from https://www.mpg.de/14490242/Max-Planck-Society-transatlantic-program-researchers
The Max Planck Society, in its strategic shift, is devoting additional resources towards hiring more applicants through the Max Planck Transatlantic Program, an initiative aimed at attracting outstanding investigators from U.S. universities. To accommodate this influx, vocational training programs in education-and-self-development and community policy can be used as tools for integrating these new scholars into the European academic environment.
