A key Nobel prize awarding bodies has issued a warning that academic freedom is under threat across America and globally, with government intervention causing serious consequences â while scientists get ready for the upcoming prize revelations.
The former president has introduced or suggested a swathe of measures in his second term that opponents claim will hamper education and scientific research.
âI think in both the short and long term, it can have serious damage,â the official told the news agency during a discussion. âAcademic freedom ... is one of the pillars of the democratic system.â
The administration denies limiting scholarly work, saying these actions will cut waste and advance American research development.
These prestigious awards, considered widely as the highest science awards globally, are scheduled to be revealed from next week, commencing with the prize in medicine and physiology on Monday and concluding with the presenting of winners in economic sciences one week later.
These honors were created by prosperous Scandinavian dynamite inventor the philanthropist and are presented for outstanding achievements in physical sciences, chemistry, literary works and conflict resolution. They come with a monetary award of SEK 11 million ($1.2m).
The US president has suggested reducing the funding of the NIH, the worldâs largest funder of biomedical research, and wants to restructure the Education Department, as an effort to shrink the federal governmentâs role in learning to support greater authority by the states.
The government has also said it would prioritise giving research funding to initiatives that focus on ânational valuesâ, and demanded that schools cap international undergraduate enrollment at fifteen percent.
âRegarding studies, this will cause a big dip in what the American scientists can do and their permitted activities, their publication opportunities, their funding prospects. So this is going to have major impacts,â commented the representative, serving as chairperson of the research policy committee at the prestigious Swedish institution.
Administration officials stated through an electronic statement that the United States was the primary supporter of scientific research in the world.
âOur targeted cuts to inefficient practices in both research grant funding and immigration systems are will strengthen Americansâ innovative and research leadership,â it said.
Trump has additionally confronted several prestigious universities â including professors may be among the Nobel prize winners in coming days â threatening to withhold federal funds regarding matters such as pro-Palestinian protests against Israelâs war in Gaza, university inclusion and gender identity regulations.
Internationally recognized scholar Simon Johnson, recipient of the Economics Nobel in 2024 for research of organizational impact on wealth, said that these policies would certainly impede economic growth.
âSuch measures are absolutely, unambiguously harmful and particularly for job creation,â Johnson, who is a professor at the prestigious business school, said.
âEvery technical and research-related work, I think, will face consequences,â he said. âLife Sciences is a especially active field currently and the National Institutes of Health is, regardless of motivation, facing truly massive cuts.â
Lena Hoffmann is a seasoned journalist with a passion for uncovering stories that matter, specializing in German current affairs and digital media trends.
