Opinion | America is losing scientists. Here’s a solution – The Washington Post

Opinion

The best and brightest scientists won’t put up with this

The assumption that top researchers will endure any visa hardship to stay in the U.S. is obsolete.

December 1, 2025 at 5:45 a.m. EST, Yesterday at 5:45 a.m. EST, 5 min

By Chris R. Glass, Chris R. Glass, a professor of the practice at Boston College, researches international student mobility and global talent flows.

America’s scientific dominance was never inevitable; in the 1920s, serious PhDs went to Europe. World War II changed everything. Afterward, the United States built an unmatched innovation ecosystem with massive federal investment in basic science coupled with risk-tolerant capital markets to commercialize new discoveries.

American policymakers grasped a crucial insight: They were investing in people, not just research. As scientists became strategic national assets, immigration policy was redesigned to recruit them.

America’s advantage persists. But bureaucratic ossification now threatens it, as our global rivals pick off the best and brightest that we have trained but can’t retain — unless we change our visa system.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine warned last year that the U.S. lacks a “whole-of-government talent strategy” for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Though U.S. universities rank first globally on research quality, our visa system is among the slowest and least predictable in the developed world. Our talent policy assumes that top researchers will endure any visa lottery or processing delay to stay in the U.S. That assumption is obsolete.

Both our allies and our adversaries have created visa systems that are faster, simpler and more certain. China’s new K-visa targets young STEM talent, and its Qiming Program recruits top scientists with $420,000 to $700,000 signing bonuses and full housing subsidies. Germany’s Opportunity Card allows skilled workers in before they find jobs. Britain’s High Potential Individual visa requires no job offer, just a top university degree. Japan’s J-Find gives recent PhD graduates two years to job-hunt or launch companies. And there are more.

Open Doors, an annual survey tracking international student enrollment in the U.S., reports significant growth in international PhD enrollment (up 25 percent over the past decade). Yet the Organization for Economic and Commercial Development’s 2023 Talent Attractiveness indicators ranked the United States eighth among OECD countries for highly skilled workers but note that it would have ranked second if not for its visa policies. Competitors have noticed and are happy to accept the talent we train but fail to keep.

Continue/Read Original Article Here: Opinion | America is losing scientists. Here’s a solution. – The Washington Post

#BestAndBrightest #BrainDrain #China #ChrisRGlass #Germany #Japan #OpenDoors #RivalsForScientists #Scientists #TheWashingtonPost #TopResearchers #UnitedStates

A quotation from George Carlin

George Carlin (1937-2008) American comedian
Book (2001), Napalm & Silly Putty, “Don’t Blame the Leaders”

More info about this quote: wist.info/carlin-george/79906/

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #georgecarlin #bestandbrightest #citizenry #democracy #garbageingarbageout #politicians #populace #public #representativegovernment

> "Only we can bomb it" should replace "In God we trust" as the U.S. national motto.
> America’s best and brightest (who were never quite that) have become the worst and dimmest. And that’s true whether the president is blue or red, Biden or Trump.
https://bracingviews.substack.com/p/only-we-can-bomb-it

#WJAstore #BracingViews #uspol #BestAndBrightest #WorstAndDimmest

Just heard on the radio:

"When T**** says: #BestAndBrightest, 'brightest' refers to skin color'." White is the brightest skin color. 🤔 #NaziDon #RacistInChief

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbOKClTVLC0&list=LL&index=1

As the second gubernatorial election debate in Central Java is about to be held tomorrow night, I feel like to call these #bestandbrightest people with their hard-earned PhD degree as "Orang Pintar" (smart people) is truly an understatement for their significant contribution to society and its related academic effort as previously mentioned. Why is that?

We did some wine tasting in the Eola Hills this afternoon (as one does) and on the way back home, driving thru West #SalemOr, we saw a supporter of TFG doing a flag wave on the side of the road.

With what looked like aluminum flag poles.

In an active thunderstorm.

#bestAndBrightest