Brain drain of US climate scientists may signal shift in scientific gravity

US climate scientists are increasingly looking abroad as a result of cuts to research funding, according to a Hong Kong-based professor, signalling a possible shift in the centre of scientific gravity.

Benjamin Horton, dean of the school of energy and environment, at City University of Hong Kong, said he had received multiple job applications from the United States from younger researchers.

He said that out of 20-plus candidates for assistant professorships at CityU, half were working at leading US universities, including Columbia, Harvard, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford and Yale.

Horton said he had approached colleagues he knew in the US about job openings in hopes of supporting young scientists who might relocate to Hong Kong as a “safe haven”.

“I emailed them saying ‘I know how dreadful the situation is. But maybe I can offer some hope for your young scientist’.”

He added: “Not many people are looking after the young ones who have not made their impact yet. We were the only ones.”