The immediate result of US President Trump’s taking office was to cut off academic grants, pushing universities to reduce student admissions. However, foreign academics were not allowed to enter the US. Now, European countries are trying to turn this academic crisis into an opportunity. The rapid and deep “planned dismantling” of American science since US President Donald Trump came into office in January has affected various sectors such as global science, weather forecasts, early warning systems, medical research (including cancer research), and NASA. Academic grants have been cut, suspended, and examined due to a long list of banned terms (including controversial terms like “political” and “women”). This has led universities across the country to reduce their admissions of doctoral students, medical students, and other postgraduates, freeze hiring, and even cancel some admission offers. According to The Guardian, over 12,500 American citizens with Fulbright research scholarships in other countries and over 7,400 foreign academics hosted in the US had their funds suspended not long ago, leaving them in financially difficult positions. When a foreign academic visiting the US was involved, they were arrested and not allowed to enter the country. The most concerning aspect is that the administration has targeted particular universities, withdrawing $400 million from Columbia University and $800 million from Johns Hopkins, forcing the universities to lay off 2,000 employees. The actions against Palestinian activist Mahmud Halil at universities, including an unjustified arrest and cancellation of his green card, are expected to have a deterrent effect on foreign students and researchers currently in the US and their desire to go there in the future. Professor Christina Pagel, a German-British professor at University College London, stated, “This is not chaos. Rather, the attacks on research appear to aim at three goals: forcing science to conform to state ideology, undermining academic independence and suppressing dissent, and pursuing geopolitical and economic objectives.” On the other hand, EU governments and institutions have started to take advantage of this opportunity. Aix-Marseille University in France announced the launch of the three-year, €15 million Safe Place for Science program to bring 15 American scientists working in climate, health, and astrophysics to its campus. According to a university spokesperson, they received over 60 applications, with 30 coming in the first 24 hours. The university expressed that it is in contact with other universities and the French government to expand “scientific asylum” on both a national and European level, in order to assist in accommodating and relocating various researchers.