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Hacker News
Hacker News Hacker NewsI put it to you because all around the world countries no longer value academic research.
Furthermore at current projections, the speed at which MAGA is imploding, those who still make the migration won’t be the ones fleeing „persecution“ but rather „market forces“
Europe launches program to lure scientists away from the US
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43943583
EU's von der Leyen invites scientists, researchers to make Europe their home
UK: https://www.science.org/content/article/u-k-physics-communit...
EU: https://www.science.org/content/article/abrupt-change-europe...
EU/France: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/french-science-wor...
EU/Germany: https://www.uni-wuppertal.de/en/news/detail/sparmassnahmen-s...
EU/Netherlands: https://www.erasmusmagazine.nl/en/2025/05/09/budget-cut-cons...
EU/Belgium: https://www.vub.be/en/news/flemish-universities-warn-severe-...
EU/Denmark: https://uniavisen.dk/en/rector-on-cuts-to-faculty-of-science...
And then there's the financial issue. A full professor at the VUB makes about 120k a year. That's not the starter wage (that doesn't even get to 100k), that's after 10 years or so. That will be taxed at 55% income tax, and you'll be lucky as a full professor to make 5500 euro per month in the first 10 years. By the way: the full professor rank is the LOWEST rank that has any benefits, which includes pension. That's right, working as an academic in Brussels, unless you are a FULL professor (not an assistant or "hoofddocent" or ...) you are not accruing pension rights, nor do you get full health insurance, which will come as a nasty surprise.
By the way, yes, you would be correct to state that there are very few jobs in Belgium that do not come with full health insurance, very few jobs that do not come with pension accrual. However, research assistant at university is one of those very few jobs that do not have it. And to add insult to injury, academic positions also have a disadvantaged immigration status.
Oh and this is the situation BEFORE those cutbacks even take effect ... I don't know what's in store but there will be further cutbacks to science funding all over the EU, probably even this year.
It is possible to make more as a research assistant at NYU than as a full professor in Brussels. Oh, and I hear at NYU even some students already accrue pension. Hell, even in Brussels, in truth, you're better of as a cleaning person or janitor in the EU commission's buildings than as a research assistant at university.
And, surely this means that apartments are cheaper in Brussels than in New York, right? If you're talking about Manhattan, yes. Decent Brussels apartments are about halfway up Queens prices. Groceries/restaurants are about the same price.
I can only give one piece of advice. EU academic research? RUN away from it if you have any choice at all.