Meric S. Gertler
Research universities have always thrived on the free circulation of peo-ple and ideas. So too have national economies. Many countries — most famously, the United States — have benefited from their ability to attract talented newcomers, who have gone on to perform path-breaking research, establish major commercial enterprises and generate wealth and prosperity. However, recent political shifts — including the rise of populism, nativism and protectionism — have led to significant reversals of longstand-ing policies in certain countries, making it harder to recruit students and talented professionals from abroad.