Sobering Thoughts About Academics Considering Escaping the United States
Since winning the presidency a second time, Trump and his administration have engaged in a series of actions that have negatively impacted U.S. universities and professors. These include, but are not limited to, rescinding key DEI mandates, withholding federal research and grants funding, restricting international students and visas, investigating university responses to anti-semitism, reforming educational institution accreditation, and dismantling the Department of Education.
Many professors, university leaders, and administrators are predictably worried about this assault on post-secondary education. They find their research defunded, their institutions threatened, and their international students caught in bureaucratic visa limbo. The challenge to “academic freedom” is constantly lurking in the shadows.
At the same time, we are reading stories about high-profile US scholars like Timothy Snyder and Jason Stanley, among others, who are moving to Canada, and how a select number of European universities and countries are developing programs to attract or recruit US-based academics.
But before you quit your academic job, pack your bags (not to mention uproot your family, etc., etc., etc.), here are some workplace and career issues to consider.
Can you speak a foreign language (or are you willing to learn)?
If you didn’t grow up speaking the language of the country you’re targeting, expect real challenges. Limiting yourself to English-speaking countries will narrow your job opportunities. While English is the lingua franca of academia and many foreign scholars speak it well, you’ll never match native fluency in the local language. Sure, translation tools can help with documents, but navigating daily life, university bureaucracy, and informal academic networks is another story.
What does your international academic network look like?
It’s important to recognize that many of the academics featured in news media reports about relocating abroad already had long-standing research collaborations and institutional ties in the countries and universities they’re moving to. These connections are making the desirability of moving and transitions significantly smoother than they might be for others without this kind of resource.
Have you ever lived or worked in academia outside the United States?
If your international experience is limited to attending academic conferences or brief summer vacations to Europe, a Christmas vacation in Acapulco, or a ski weekend in Quebec, you may be surprised by how different it is to live and work abroad long-term. Being a tourist or a visiting scholar is no substitute for the realities of everyday life in a foreign country. The differences are significant, especially when navigating unfamiliar bureaucracies, adapting to new professional norms, or handling day-to-day needs like housing, transportation, and healthcare.
What Immigration Challenges Might You Face?
Immigration laws and employment policies vary widely by country. Some universities offer legal support for securing work visas, paths to citizenship, etc., but many do not. In those cases, the responsibility and cost typically fall on the candidate. Do you have the financial resources, and are they readily available to cover legal fees, visa applications, and associated relocation expenses? Do you have the patience to deal with local bureaucracies, many of whom are hostile to foreigners?
What is Academic Culture Like Outside the United States?
Academic norms in Anglo-American countries (e.g., Canada, United States, United Kingdom, Australia, etc.) are pretty much the same, but those in other countries often differ significantly from the U.S. system. Expectations around research productivity, access to funding, and institutional hierarchies can be strikingly different. Salaries are generally lower in most European countries, though this is often offset by more robust social safety nets that provide national healthcare, public education, and pension systems. However, these benefits may not fully compensate for the income loss, particularly for mid-career or senior academics accustomed to U.S. salary scales.
What does academic Life Abroad Look Like?
Yes, many European academics take the entire month of August off, and the work-life balance can seem enviable. But academia is under pressure in many countries. Public support is often waning. Some would argue it was never particularly strong, and scholars are increasingly cast as out-of-touch elites who contribute little of practical value to society. The same sorts of dynamics regarding post-secondary higher education that are hitting the United States are present, but with less intensity, in other countries.
What is the Job Availability Like in Foreign Countries?
To begin with, not all countries financially support university education. In some countries, particularly those that are considered less developed, professors are not paid what would be considered a living wage. Thus, it is not uncommon for academics in these locations to hold an outside job. This means that the academic position at a university is considered more like a hobby or a secondary employment.
Meanwhile, about a decade ago, it was common to hear newly minted PhDs from Belgium, France, Italy, or Spain say that the only way they’d get a full-time academic job in their home country was if a professor died. Why? Academic positions were limited and centrally controlled by the state. While the situation has evolved somewhat since then, it hasn’t improved dramatically.
Also, the demand for scholars with expertise in STEM fields, especially engineering and computer science, is significantly higher than for those specializing in the humanities. In Europe, just like in the United States, the job market is saturated with humanities scholars. Many with advanced training in Cultural. Literary, Political, or Social Theory, or similar areas, are either stuck in long academic job queues or working in the service industry as gig workers.
For foreign professors, especially those without established international reputations, opportunities remain quite limited. Many professors and graduate students underestimate just how competitive foreign academic environments are. After some time, you may find yourself running into serious, often unspoken, job and career challenges. Chief among them: you’re trying to break into entrenched local scholarly networks. The old-boy systems you may have benefited from (and also resented) in the U.S. are alive and well in most countries.
In practice, this means local PhDs and postdocs are frequently favored. Even highly qualified outsiders may be viewed with indifference or even suspicion.
Additionally, many countries impose age caps on academic positions. I’ve seen highly talented European scholars essentially forced into early retirement due to government regulations. Often, the best they can hope for is a nice farewell party and a Festschrift no one reads.
Wrapping Out
So while an academic position outside of the United States may appear attractive, they are neither easy to land nor free of complications. If you’re not already internationally connected or highly visible in your field, the road overseas may be steeper and less stable than you were hoping for.
I’m not suggesting that professors should abandon the option of seeking higher education employment outside of the United States, but rather a suggestion to think more carefully about this decision.
Photo Credit
Photographer: Weegee
Title: Drunk (1940)
